Netflix is reportedly set to go ahead with talent show Building the Band featuring late singer Liam Payne. Payne tragically died in Buenos Aires in October last year, aged 31.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the competition looks to audition budding musicians with a desire to be in a band. They are then put in groups and rehearse together but the members do not see one another until they perform together in front of a live audience.
the next big band without seeing them in what seems to mirror the concepts of both The X Factor and The Voice. As per the publication, the show wrapped filming back in the summer of 2024. Payne was a judge on the show alongside Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child and The Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger. The publication reported that sources at Netflix were considering how best to honor Payne in the show, with a tribute in the opening episode being one possibility. Netflix has not yet publicly spoken about the series or confirmed its arrival.
Liam Payne Rose to Fame in One Direction Back in 2010
Building the Band's concept appears to pull inspiration from Payne's rise to fame. He found success after he auditioned on the British version of The X Factor as a solo artist back in 2010. He was then put in a band by Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Scherzinger, who felt he was too talented to be sent home.Four other soloists had the same experience, they were Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan and collectively they would go on to become the biggest boyband on the planet, One Direction.
The group went on to sell a whopping 70 million records worldwide, curating five studio albums including their debut album "Up All Night," their pop catalog "Take Me Home" and their biggest-selling record "Midnight Memories." Over the course of the albums, the group became actively more involved in the writing process of their music allowing them to hone their craft. Malik left the group in 2015, which prompted a temporary hiatus for One Direction in 2015, which was made indefinite a year later.
In 2017, Payne released his first solo offering in the form of "Strip That Down" which offered a more club-ready sound that was a confident departure from the sound produced by One Direction. He went on to release a string of singles before his debut album in LP1 in 2021. He also delivered on a slate of chart-topping collaborations including Fifty Shades Freed soundtrack "For You" with Rita Ora, "First Time" with French Montana, "Polaroid" with Jonas Blue and Lennon Stella and "Live Forever" with Cheat Codes, the ultimate summer anthem.
Building the Band does not yet have a release date. Stay tuned at Collider for updates.
