Liam Payne’s tragic passing last year created shock waves across the world. The One Direction singer, who had millions of fans worldwide, is dearly missed, and he left behind a strong legacy as a musician. Payne had a number of projects in the works before his passing, including a Netflix singing competition show that he participated in as a mentor. The show, titled Building the Band, dropped its first four episodes today on the 2025 TV schedule, and watching it felt eerie, despite the singer’s legacy being honored.
The Netflix show opens immediately with a tribute to the late singer by host AJ McLean, and it serves as one of many emotional tributes to Payne that have come after his death. He addresses the fact that the show was filmed before Payne passed away in October, and notes that he will be featured in later episodes of the show. He says that in the wake of Payne’s passing, they have decided to dedicate the show to him, and notes his irreplaceable talent and generosity that will be dearly missed. McLean said:
