Liam Payne stopped by the Z100 studios to celebrate the release of his debut single 'Strip That Down' with Maxwell. The former boy band member is finally ready to experiment with his own unique sound independent from the group that made him a household name. Following in the footsteps of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, and Niall Horan before him, Liam is officially a solo artist. Unlike his fellow One Direction brothers, though, Liam gave his time in the band a pretty prominent shout out in his new single.
The lyric in question had some fans wondering if Liam was actually slamming his time in One Direction. The song, which was co-written by Ed Sheeran, features the lyric "You know I used to be in 1D, but now I’m out free." After talking with Liam about this lyric, we can confirm he definitely wasn't trying to insult his years in One Direction or his fellow band mates.
When Maxwell asked for clarification on the line, featured in the hook of 'Strip That Down, Liam revealed it's referring to "the fact that everyone is now free to do their own thing in music and explore the music." He went on to say that he was "worried that people would take it negatively. It's not meant to be in that sense at all. None of us left the band. We're on hiatus still. What a great hiatus it's been so far, so let's keep it going."
Liam took some time during his chat with Maxwell to talk about the love and support he shares with his band members. He described watching Niall perform as a solo artist as a "proud moment," which makes us SO happy. Even though his 1D shoutout might have had some fans worried, everything is all good with Liam and One Direction.