Singer Liam Payne confessed that he is not ready to make socially charged statement music as he told how he is focusing on bringing back a fresh wave of R&B pop in the style of Justin Timberlake.
The One Direction star used Taylor Swift’s controversial new track Look What You Made Me Do, which takes a swipe at her critics and includes a writing credit to Right Said Fred’s I’m Too Sexy, as an example of tunes that use pre-existing music to voice strong feelings.
Speaking before a performance in east London on Thursday, he told the Press Association: “I just don’t have the statements to make.
“If the song fits the film then it’s great and at the moment that’s what’s fitting (Swift’s) film, but I’m not sure what to take from it.
“I think it’s a really great song derived from some old music and that’s the thing these days; people send me (my songs) and tell me it sounds like other songs and eventually that’s going to happen.
“There are only so many chords and so many words you can put together, some of the best things have already been said and you want to recreate them, so naturally it happens.
“I don’t really know how many statement pieces a guy like me can make, but maybe I’ll have one to make in the future.”
Commenting on the aim of his on upcoming debut solo album, he continued: “As I grow up my fans are growing as well so we are all going through the same stuff.
“I go back to things like Confessions by Usher, and Justin Timberlake’s Justified, I want to make that sort of an album for this generation because I don’t think anyone has done it in a little while. ”
I'm on my way to perform #StripThatDown 😜 Follow @VOXI_UK to see my performance! #VOXI #ad pic.twitter.com/agEVj4jSai
— Liam (@LiamPayne) August 31, 2017
Payne said that he is keen to add Nicki Minaj to his rapidly growing list of album collaborators – which most recently include Charlie Puth – adding: “She is the best female rapper in the world at the moment… I have a song that I think she could really smash, so there’s a spot for her if she wants it.”
His comments came as he performed to a small audience marking the launch of Voxi, a new mobile service designed to give people under the age of 25 fast and easy access to social media apps.
Crediting such sites for targeting the teen fan-base and helping One Direction shoot to fame following their X Factor victory, he said: “Online is where young people have their opinions, have their voices and, from my personal experience, make a lot of mates.
“We were right at the birth when Twitter took off and with X Factor I think that’s what caused our success, it was a big part of it.”
But he admitted that he avoids regularly exposing his baby son Bear to social media because it is “up to him” when he wants to join the world of modern technology.
Payne had the opportunity to spend some quality time with his son and girlfriend while celebrating his birthday in Mallorca this week, where Cheryl surprised him by flying out his parents and old school friends.
Commenting on the express holiday, he said: “Getting a cute little card from Bear was the best thing ever.
“Me and Cheryl aren’t really sunbathers but when you are away you get to talk about a lot of different things.
“I got to spend a lot of time with my son…He is growing into a humongous child, he’s half the size of his nan now, which is hilarious.”
He also thanked Niall Horan for his birthday message and paid tribute to the success of all his bandmates since One Direction decided to go on hiatus.
Being the last of the original five members to release solo music, starting with his single Strip That Down, he described himself as the “tortoise” and joked: “There is definitely an edge of competition in the air; we’re all lads and we love a contest.”
