Liam Payne dropped by record label due to 'all the memes and jokes people made'

Universal Music "quietly dropped" the star from their label after putting his second album on hold.

Liam Payne's record label reportedly dropped the star shortly before his death over fears his new music wouldn't receive backing from his fanbase. Universal Music "quietly dropped" the star from their label after putting his second album on hold.

An insider told the Daily Mail newspaper: "Liam wanted to make the sort of music he enjoyed but his label believed it wouldn't win over 1D fans so there were disagreements about the way his brand should have been marketed."

Claims suggested that the label cutting ties was also partly because of "all the memes and jokes people made about him online". "His team saw that as a sign to jump ship," the source added to the newspaper in the UK after Liam's tragic death.

READ MORE UK faces -5C snow within days and one part of England will be 'worst hit'

Before his death, Liam's plans to release his long awaited second album - his first since 2019’s LP1 - were quietly put on ice after his first single from the record, Teardrops, failed to chart back in March. A friend said: “Things are tough for Liam at the moment.

“His former manager Roger stepped back earlier this year. He was a steady hand for Liam and he appears to be struggling without his guidance. Things have started to seem slightly erratic, with plans being made before they are cancelled last minute.

“Liam had been doing really well on his second album but now it’s completely on pause. Liam is telling people now he has no idea if it’ll ever be released.” Liam checked himself into a rehab facility the following year and last summer he proudly said he was 100 days sober and was busy working on new projects.

Liam said: “I was having a drink, and I thought, ‘You know what, this isn’t really serving me at all, I don’t really need this right now'. It’s the first time I’ve ever put a drink down and gone to someone else, ‘You finish this, I don’t need this right now.'"