The One Direction singer died in Argentina earlier this month after falling from a hotel balcony and his first posthumous single ‘Do No Wrong’ has been delayed

Devastating news from the music world as Liam Payne’s posthumous single ‘Do No Wrong’ has been put on indefinite hold for a particular five-word reason. The former One Direction star tragically lost his life in Argentina earlier this month after a harrowing fall from a hotel balcony.

In the wake of this heartbreaking event, Grammy-winning producer Sam Pounds had intended to release a collaboration track with Liam to “eclipse the negative echoes” surrounding the incident. However, in an emotional turn of events, Pounds has chosen to halt the release.

In his statement, Sam stated why he felt he couldn’t release the single as planned on Friday: “it’s not the time yet.”

He went to explain that he felt the family needed time to mourn. Taking to Instagram, Sam shared a thoughtful message: “Today I’m deciding to hold ‘Do No Wrong’ and leave those liberties up to all family members. I want all proceeds go to a charity of their choosing (or however they desire). Even though we all love the song it’s not the time yet.”

Liam Payne’s single is now being held ( Image: Getty Images North America)
“We are all still mourning the passing of Liam and I want the family to mourn in peace and in prayer. We will all wait. With love Sam Pounds.”

His previous hopes to provide solace through the song have been put aside as he expressed the importance of respecting the family’s grieving process.

On X – the platform previously known as Twitter – Sam had conveyed his desire for the song to bring comfort, stating: “I pray that this will be a blessing to the world like Liam has always dreamed. I pray angels will comfort you all everyday while listening. I pray that this song will be a blessing to [his sister] Ruth, [son] Bear, and the entire family.”

“I pray that this song eclipses the negative echoes. I pray supernatural positive healing power will embrace each and every one of you … With love let’s all BE the blessing.”

After his 2019 debut album ‘LP1,’ Liam, aged 31, encountered a setback as his follow-up record was reportedly put on ice when its first single ‘Teardrops’ didn’t make waves in March—with rumors swirling that he was cut loose by his label due to concerns at Universal Music that his new tunes wouldn’t captivate the One Direction throng. A source spilled to DailyMail.com, “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 elaborated on the state of the music biz, citing budget trims and restructures: “The entire music industry is making cuts and restructuring to cut costs so Universal decided to drop Liam quietly and invest in other artists.”

“Despite being affluent, the sacking stung as Payne faced the pressure to match up to his former bandmates success,” the insider noted.

Tributes have been flooding in for Payne, with heartfelt messages from his bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson following his death. Payne had battled alcoholism at the peak of his fame, revealing to Steven Bartlett, host of The Diary Of A CEO podcast in 2021, that he hit “rock bottom” before seeking help in rehab.

In 2023, he shared a video from a rehab facility in Louisiana, expressing that he had “got more of a grip on life”. The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Argentina is still investigating the circumstances surrounding Payne’s death, which is currently classified as “an inconclusive death”.

An initial post-mortem examination revealed that he died instantly due to multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”. Emergency services were called to the Casa Sur Hotel on the day of Payne’s fall due to a “guest who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and who had destroyed some objects in the room”.

Before his untimely death, Payne was slated to appear on a new Netflix show, Building The Band, alongside fellow judges US singer and actress Nicole Scherzinger and former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland.