Liam Payne ‘dropped by record label’ in devastating career setback - days before death

ok.co.uk:

Liam Payne was reportedly dropped by his record label Universal Music just days before his death. A source told The Daily Mail: "Liam's advance was massive and he didn't recoup [it].

Out of all of the One Direction boys, Liam was on the wrong path musically." Liam started his career with One Direction in 2010 and was originally signed to Sony while the band were still together.

However, after they split, he signed a solo deal with Capitol Records, a subsidiary of Universal, in July 2016. Despite being "thrilled" to work with the prestigious company, his solo album LP1, released in 2019, received mixed to negative reviews and failed to make a significant impact on the charts.

Despite not getting the reception he hoped for, Liam didn't lose heart and was working on his second album. But before Universal dropped him, it's believed that the album's release was delayed.