Liam Payne wrote and recorded his latest song as a tribute to his love for supermodel Naomi Campbell, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
The former One Direction star dated Ms Campbell for several months in 2019 and began composing the song ‘Closer to You’ shortly after their split.
But he stopped working on the love song – which begins with a reference to smelling her perfume lingering in the air – until he finally recorded it earlier this year.
He died convinced that this would be his next hit.
The Mail on Sunday understands that Liam, who died in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina aged 31, was extremely proud of the record and, we are told, Ms Campbell knows he wrote the song in honor of composed her.
A source said: ‘Liam and Naomi dated for three or four months and, like everything with Liam, he took it very seriously. He was an emotional man. They didn’t have any major problems, it was more that they realized that their relationship couldn’t last long term because they were both juggling careers and traveling a lot.”
The split was amicable and they remained friends.
The lyrics talk about his desire “to get closer to you” and reveal that she was the one “who walked away.”
Model Naomi Campbell with pop singer Liam Payne during a dinner in Ghana, January 2019
The former One Direction star dated Ms Campbell (pictured) for several months in 2019 and began composing the song ‘Closer to You’ shortly after their split
But Mr Payne (pictured) stopped working on the love song – which begins with a reference to smelling her perfume lingering in the air – until he finally recorded it earlier this year.
He pleads repeatedly, “I want to love you.”
He was especially proud of the opening line of the melody: ‘Still smell your perfume in my room…’
The source said: ‘Liam joked that Naomi’s scent was so distinctive that he could always smell it, even long after she had left.’
The Mail on Sunday listened to a rough version of the three-and-a-half-minute song recorded in Los Angeles in July.
The song was submitted to the court in Buenos Aires as part of a 91-page document containing more than 400 files prepared by lawyers representing Liam’s close friend, Argentinian-American businessman Roger Nores, as part of the ongoing investigation into the death of Liam.
Ms. Nores and his girlfriend both contributed lyrics to the song.
Liam traveled to Sweden in August, where he recorded the final version of the song with producer and composer Rani Yacoub, who wrote One Direction’s biggest hit ‘What Makes You Beautiful’.
Also contributing on the phone in Los Angeles were Grammy award-winning Swedish producer Max Martin, who wrote “Baby One More Time” for Britney Spears and “I Kissed A Girl” for Katy Perry.
The lyrics talk about his desire “to get closer to you” and reveal that she was the one “who walked away.” Pictured: Mrs. Campbell
One of the world’s most successful songwriters, Mr Martin has written the most number one singles on the Billboard 100 chart after Sir Paul McCartney. His hits include Taylor Swift’s ‘Shake it Off’ and the Backstreet Boys’ ‘I Want It That Way’.
A source told the MoS that Liam was ‘excited’ to be back in the studio with old mentor Mr Yacoub.
In 2023, Mr Yacoub posted a photo of himself and Liam on Instagram with the caption: ‘I’ve known this amazing human being for almost 13 years. Sorry to torture you in the booth Liam, but as you can all see by his face, he loves it. Time passes, but some things never change…’
While Liam struggled with addiction issues, he appeared sober and drank nothing stronger than the energy drink Red Bull as he recorded the final version of ‘Closer to You’ during an eight-hour session that stretched into the night.
He was reportedly dropped by his record and management companies, but believed the song would mark his comeback as a solo artist.
A source said: ‘Liam was happy to be back in the studio with Rami and working with Max. They are both legends. He was happy and smiling. He felt this would be his big comeback album.’
Liam and Ms Campbell have never publicly commented on their highly publicized relationship, which took place when she was 48 and he was 25.
We were first spotted together in early 2019 celebrating New Year in Ghana and flirted on Instagram, liking and commenting on each other’s posts.
The Mail on Sunday understands that Liam, who died in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina aged 31, was extremely proud of the record
Liam described her as “perfection in a person” and she called him “a beautiful soul.”
Ms Campbell has not commented on his death, but has posted a broken heart, pigeon emojis and prayer hands under a photo of Liam that singer Nicole Scherzinger posted after his fatal fall.
Liam hoped to launch the song on a world tour in 2025, but fell back on drugs while in Argentina waiting for his US work visa to be extended.
The song, which has an upbeat, catchy melody, contains poignant lyrics about how much he longs for Mrs. Campbell.
He reflects on wishing he could be “closer to you” – which eventually became the song’s title.
“Liam laughed a lot and was so happy in the studio,” the friend said.
“I think everyone who worked on Closer to You hopes that it will be released one day so that his fans can hear the great music he made until the end.”
Liam died on October 16 after falling from the balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires to a height of 13 metres.
His autopsy revealed he had drugs, including crack cocaine, in his system, while prosecutors revealed he ordered several bottles of champagne and whiskey from room service during his final hours.
Last night, Mr Yocoub declined to comment when contacted by the MoS in Los Angeles, saying Liam’s death “has hit me hard and I really can’t talk about it.”
Representatives for Ms. Campbell and Mr. Payne’s estate did not respond to requests for comment.