Metacritic gave Liam Payne’s debut album an average score of 44 out of 100, based on seven reviews. That made LP1 the worst-reviewed album of 2019 on the site among records with seven or more reviews.
LP1 came out on 6 December 2019 through Hampton Records and Capitol Records. It is the only solo studio album Payne released before he died on 16 October 2024. The record blends pop and trap with hip-hop and R&B production, and Payne named Usher and Justin Timberlake as influences. He told an Australian radio station it was “very hip-hop and R&B-orientated” and “exactly the way I’d want my first album to sound.”
A long wait
The album took years. After the single “Bedroom Floor” in October 2017, Payne said it would arrive in January 2018. In May 2018 he gave a September date. In August 2018 he delayed it again and put out an EP, First Time, to fill the gap. He formally announced the title and release date on 18 October 2019.
Three singles came first: “Strip That Down,” “Get Low” and “Bedroom Floor.” “Stack It Up,” with A Boogie wit da Hoodie, followed on 16 September 2019. “Familiar” and “Live Forever,” a track with Cheat Codes released alongside the album, also appeared. The Christmas track “All I Want (For Christmas)” was on it too. By the release date, much of the record had already been heard.
What critics said
The complaint came up again and again: the album had no identity of its own. Helen Brown of The Independent wrote that “he’s gone from One Direction to One Dimensional.” Laura Snapes of The Guardian called it a “terrible pop album.” Pitchfork’s Rawiya Kameir described Payne as “another pop star flailing to find his identity amid trend-hopping production and half-baked lyrics.” Thomas Green of the i wrote that One Direction’s devoted fans would love it “but nobody else will.”
Some reviewers were kinder. Rachel McGrath of the Evening Standard said Payne “finds the perfect middle ground.” El Hunt of NME said the album “can be fun when it does loosen up,” and picked out “Familiar,” “Heart Meet Break” and “Bedroom Floor.” AllMusic’s Neil Z. Yeung singled out “For You” as the best track and advised Payne to find “a more distinctive vision.”
The song “Both Ways” drew heavy criticism from critics and the public for fetishizing bisexual women.
The charts were modest. LP1 peaked at number 17 on the UK Albums Chart, dropped out of the Top 50 the following week, and then spent five more weeks in the lower half of the Top 100. In the US it debuted and peaked at number 111 on the Billboard 200.
Sources
- LP1 (Liam Payne album) – Wikipedia
- Former One Direction member Liam Payne releases debut solo album and it's a flop
