Liam Payne single pulled - Sam Pounds' statement in full and concerns for singer's family

Liam Payne's first 'Do No Wrong' has been shelved out of respect for the star's grieving family.

The died in Argentina earlier this month after falling from a hotel balcony and Grammy-winning producer Sam Pounds later confirmed he was planning to release the track they made together to "eclipse the negative echoes" following the tragedy, but Sam has now confirmed he's cancelled the release to give more time to grieve the loss.

In a message posted on Instagram, Sam wrote: "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.

"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."

Sam previously insisted he wanted to share the song with the world to provide some "healing power" for Liam's loved ones and his fans.

In a post on X - formerly known as Twitter - he wrote: "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."

Liam, 31, had recorded a follow-up to his 2019 debut album 'LP1' but reports suggested the record was shelved after the first single 'Teardrops' failed to chart in March - and an insider recently claimed he was subsequently ditched by his label because bosses at Universal Music were concerned his new songs would fail to win over the pop band's fan base.

A source told 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 entire music industry is making cuts and restructuring to cut costs so Universal decided to drop Liam quietly and invest in other artists."

The insider went on to add: "He didn't need the money because he was wealthy, but yes it did hurt him because he was under constant pressure to compete with the other guys in the band."

Liam rose to fame on talent show The X Factor as part of One Direction. Last week, all five of One Direction’s studio albums returned to the UK top 40 as vigils continue to be held by fans throughout the world in memory of Payne.

His last solo song, Teardrops, had made its chart debut at number 85 in the most recent UK chart when it was released earlier this year.

Tributes have continued to pour in for Payne, with his bandmates Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson paying tribute shortly after he died.

Payne had struggled with alcoholism when he was at the height of his fame, telling a 2021 edition of The Diary Of A CEO podcast host Steven Bartlett, he reached “rock bottom” before going to rehab.

In 2023, he posted a video about being in an rehab facility in Louisiana, saying he had “got more of a grip on life”.

The Public Prosecutor’s Office in Argentina is continuing to investigate the circumstances around Payne’s death.

It is being treated as “an inconclusive death”, and an initial post-mortem examination found he died instantly because of multiple traumas and “internal and external haemorrhage”.

Emergency services had been called on the day Payne fell at the Casa Sur Hotel to a “guest who was under the influence of drugs and alcohol and who had destroyed some objects in the room”.

Payne had been set to appear on a new Netflix show called Building The Band, along with fellow judges US singer and actress Nicole Scherzinger and former Destiny’s Child star Kelly Rowland, before he died.