How Liam Payne Embraced His Freedom From One Direction on “Strip That Down”

When Liam Payne released his debut solo single “Strip That Down,” in 2017, he embraced a newfound freedom from One Direction.

The single features rapper Quavo with writing contributions from Ed Sheeran and Steve Mac. But Payne didn’t plan on a solo career until he received a call from Sheeran.

With One Direction on pause, Payne headed to Los Angeles. He was in a gym when Sheeran called and convinced him to return to London. Things moved quickly from there, and soon they co-wrote “Strip That Down.”

Payne told Billboard, “To be honest with you, I wasn’t going to do a solo venture. I was just going to go into songwriting and carry on and do that. But then I was like, ‘You’ve been trying to do this since you were 14 years old. You would be ridiculously stupid to turn down the option to have a deal.’ Coming out of the band, we had some pretty good opportunities around us. I had to do something.”

On Hiatus

Payne was the last member of One Direction to break out on his own. The song’s opening line acknowledges his plans to focus on himself. He wasn’t competing with the others’ solo releases, and until Sheeran’s call, he planned to keep a low profile.

You know I’ve been taking some time
And I’ve been keeping to myself
I had my eyes up on the prize
Ain’t watching anybody else

One Direction fans at the time may have winced at the used to be in 1D lyric. Fans then hoped the group’s hiatus wasn’t permanent. (The bandmates each pursued solo careers, and One Direction never reunited before Payne died in October.)

You know I used to be in 1D (Now I’m out, free)
People want me for one thing (That’s not me)
I’m not changing the way that I (Used to be)
I just wanna have fun and (Get rowdy)

Shaggy and Rik Rok’s 2000 hit “It Wasn’t Me” inspired Payne’s conversational hook. That song borrowed from War’s “Smile Happy,” which explains the sprawling songwriting credits on “Strip That Down.” (Though War’s funk rock jam wasn’t sampled in Payne’s track, appearing only in the Shaggy tune.)

“You Don’t Care About Where I’ve Been“

“Strip That Down” reached No. 3 in the U.K. and No. 10 in the U.S. Sheeran—no stranger to crafting hits—constructed the single with a summery pop veneer. Payne sounds easy, free, untethered from the rabid attention of One Direction diehards.

When the single arrived, Payne was 23 years old. In the song, he imagines falling in love with someone who doesn’t care about his fame or success with One Direction. This verse brings to mind the 1967 bubblegum hit “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tommy James & the Shondells. But here, the couple must elude millions of Payne’s adoring fans.

Yeah, you opened up my heart
And then you threw away the key
Girl, now it’s just you and me
And you don’t care about where I’ve been

LP1

Payne’s first One Direction-less single is his most-streamed song on Spotify. Two years later, he released his only solo album, LP1. The title reflects an attempt to begin again. But any member of a massive boy band cannot escape its history.

Justin Timberlake successfully navigated life after NSYNC. And Payne’s former bandmate Harry Styles became a pop culture icon beyond the group. However, many criticized LP1 for its lack of identity. The young singer planned a second album, but tragically, Payne fell to his death from a third-floor balcony on October 16 at a hotel in Buenos Aires. He was just 31.

Fans gathered in cities around the world to mourn his death.

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Photo by Mike Marsland/Mike Marsland/WireImage