Liam Payne‘s latest single is the product of a studio session with a fellow boybander… but not any of the guys you may be thinking of!
On Friday, the 30-year-old One Direction alum dropped his latest single “Teardrops,” a heartfelt ballad written alongside songwriter Jamie Scott and none other than JC Chasez of *NSYNC.
The track, which marks Payne’s first new single in three years, arrives nearly five years after his debut studio album LP1 and follows what Payne has called a “year long process of self-reflection” in the studio with longtime collaborator Scott.
“Teardrops is about the vulnerability of heartbreak and the challenge of overcoming those moments,” the singer said in a release.
“This song marks the start of a new beginning, there’s lots more to come in 2024.”
On Instagram, Payne shared with fans Friday that the song itself was “born from many tears, not all mine.”
“I hope you love it like I do and not too many of you can relate,” he wrote, also sharing an image of his 5-year-old son Bear Payne looking up at a promotional billboard for the track with the caption: “I want to be on a billboard one day daddy.”
Chasez, 47, commented some praise for the singer underneath one of his latest Instagram posts, too. “Congrats my guy! Was a pleasure creating with you 🙌,” he wrote.
Songwriting is familiar territory for Chasez, who has previously written for or with the likes of Taemin, NU’EST, Diplo, David Archuleta and The Cheetah Girls. Scott, on the other hand, has worked with Payne in the past on 1D fan favorites such as “Through the Dark,” “What a Feeling” and “Fools Gold.”
Last July, Chasez chopped it up with PEOPLE about how he’s now been writing for himself, too — specifically by crafting two musicals “at the same time.”
“It’s a long haul, but that doesn’t bother me at all. Again, that’s just work, which is fine. And the fun part is you just keep creating, because even with these pieces, they’re not done,” Chasez said. “They’re just at this stage, and the fun part is they’ll get better. But as far as going the distance, I’m going the distance, I’ve gone this far, I’m going all the way.”
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