Liam Payne

British singer-songwriter Liam Payne began his career wowing stadium-sized crowds as part of the boy-band sensation One Direction, and as a solo artist, he’s leaned more into bold, experimental club beats and forward-thinking bops.

Born in Wolverhampton, England, in 1993, Payne tried out for the UK’s The X Factor in 2008 but didn’t make the cut.

So he tried again—and impressed the judges enough to get a slot in a five-member vocal group.