AJ McLean Reveals Liam Payne Shared Unreleased Music Before Death

AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys revealed that he heard unreleased music from Liam Payne, the late One Direction singer, who shared the work with him for feedback before his tragic death in October 2024. McLean described Payne as a warm, witty, and open-hearted person who was deeply involved in the Netflix music competition series Building the Band, which featured both as host and judge, respectively, and will mark Payne's posthumous television appearance. Payne's unreleased songs, praised by McLean as "beautiful, beautiful music," have not yet been made public, though fans hope they will be released in the future. Payne had released the single "Teardrops" earlier in 2024, which was intended for his second studio album, capturing his emotions over the prior year. The series Building the Band, which showcases singers forming groups based solely on vocal talent, premieres on Netflix in July 2025 with the blessing of Payne's family. McLean reflected on their close bond formed during filming and noted their shared struggles with sobriety, underscoring the genuine connection between the two artists.