Liam Payne was reportedly dropped from his record label due to "disagreements" with his music.
The former One Direction singer tragically died last week after falling from the balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was just 31 years old and, according to an Argentine official, an initial toxicology report found he had cocaine in his body at the time of his death.
It's claimed that, before his death, Universal Music had "quietly dropped" Liam from their label over fears his music wouldn't attract One Direction fans. Liam's debut album peaked at number 17 on the UK album chart, but left the Top 50 the following week.
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It's said Liam was hoping for his second album to perform better than - but this was allegedly put on hold. And according to reports, his label didn't like the type of music he was enjoying making.
A source told DailyMail: "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."
The source claimed budget cuts also played a part in his exit, reports the Mirror. It's believed the label cutting ties was also partly because of "all the memes and jokes" people were making about the star on social media.
"His team saw that as a sign to jump ship," the source claimed. They also suggested Liam would have felt pressure for his tracks to perform well following the successes of his bandmates like Harry Styles.
Liam had watched his 1D pal Niall Horan play a show in Argentina weeks before his death. Niall called Liam an "amazing friend" in a heartbreaking tribute following Liam's death.
Niall wrote in his statement: "I'm absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn't feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure."
"All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever."
He also discussed their final meeting, expressing his sadness at now knowing it will be their final time together. Niall continued: "The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime.
"I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking. My love and condolences go out to Geoff, Karen, Ruth, Nicola and of course his son Bear. That you for everything, Payno. Love you brother. Nialler."
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