LP1

by Liam Payne

Overview

First Zayn, then Harry and Niall, and finally -- nearly four years after the split of U.K. boy band One Direction -- former member Liam Payne unveiled his official full-length debut, 2019's LP1. Under construction since 2017, the set smartly includes all of his previously released hit singles, including the multi-platinum global smash "Strip That Down" with Quavo, which joins fresh material that charts Payne's bittersweet trials with love ("Remember," "Heart Meet Break," "All I Want (For Christmas)"), his robust sex life ("Rude Hours" and "Both Ways"), and a youthful, party-loving lifestyle ("Hips Don't Lie," "Weekend"). Whereas his 1D brethren managed to carve out distinct personalities with their solo albums -- Zayn's brooding R&B epics, Harry's effortless rock star poses, and Niall's wholesome singer/songwriter authenticity -- Payne tackles hip-hop and electronic genres but struggles to distinguish himself from the crop of similar-sounding contemporaries. Without a clear direction, the sleek pop confections on LP1 sound more like a streaming playlist set to shuffle. That's not to say the album is a total loss. Payne works best when he has a vocal foil and, fortunately, there are plenty of guests here. Bronx-bred rapper A Boogie wit da Hoodie contributes a clever verse on the Ed Sheeran-penned "Stack It Up" (which, for better or worse, sounds strikingly similar to "Strip That Down," the other Sheeran contribution), while J Balvin injects pulsing Latin flair with "Familiar." Elsewhere, electronic producers Cheat Codes, Jonas Blue, and Zedd craft uplifting dance anthems on their respective entries, "Live Forever," "Polaroid," and "Get Low." Above all, the album's best track, the gorgeous pop gem "For You," is the gift that keeps on giving. The Fifty Shades Freed single was a hit throughout 2018, boosting both Payne and duet partner Rita Ora, who later bundled it onto her own solo set, Phoenix. Receiving yet another lease on life, it shines just as bright on LP1, overshadowing much of the other material in the process. Front-loaded with mostly forgettable trifles, the album is saved by this bountiful back-end, which plays like an early prediction of a potential greatest-hits collection. If Payne can find a more distinctive vision and a team who can better utilize his strong vocals, he might get a chance for that longevity. For now, LP1 merely hints at his future potential. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

Product Details

Release Date:	12/20/2019
Label:	Capitol / Republic
UPC:	0602557842173
Rank:	33303

Tracks

1. Stack It Up
2. Remember
3. Heart Meet Break
4. Hips Don't Lie
5. Tell Your Friends
6. Say It All
7. Rude Hours
8. Live Forever
9. Weekend
10. Both Ways
11. Strip That Down
12. For You (Fifty Shades Freed)
13. Familiar
14. Polaroid
15. Get Low
16. Bedroom Floor
17. All I Want (For Christmas)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Liam Payne   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Rita Ora   Primary Artist,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
J Balvin   Primary Artist,Vocals
Alesso   Primary Artist
Zedd   Primary Artist
Lennon Stella   Primary Artist,Vocals
Quavo   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Cheat Codes   Primary Artist
Jonas Blue   Primary Artist,Keyboards
A Boogie wit da Hoodie   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
James Newman   Vocals (Background)
Chris Laws   Drums
Steve Mac   Keyboards,Synthesizer
Ali Payami   Bass,Horn,Drums,Keyboards,Percussion,Keyboard Bass,Vocals (Background)
Max Grahn   Vocals (Background)
Mike Sabath   Guitar
Sam Preston   Piano,Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Peter Karlsson   Vocals (Background)
Andrew Haas   Drums,Guitar,Keyboards,Synthesizer,Guitar (Bass),Vocals (Background)
Ruth-Anne Cunningham   Vocals (Background)
Joe Spargur   Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Stefan Johnson   Guitar
Ed Sheeran   Vocals (Background)
Phil Cook   Piano,Strings
Marcus Lomax   Vocals (Background)
Ali Tamposi   Vocals (Background)
Niklas Ljungfelt   Guitar
Ian Franzino   Drums,Keyboards,Synthesizer
Jakob Jerlstrom   Vocals (Background)
DannyBoyStyles   Keyboards
Sylvester Willy Sivertsen   Keyboards
Andrew Watt   Guitar,Vocals (Background)
Fred Gibson   Drums,Piano,Guitar,Keyboards,Guitar (Bass)
Jonny Price   Piano
Tobias Ring   Guitar
Jake Torrey   Guitar,Keyboards,Vocals (Background)
Carl Lehmann   Guitar (Acoustic),Vocals (Background)
Michael Matosic   Vocals (Background)
A Boogie   Vocals,Featured Artist
Marek Deml   Bass,Strings,Glockenspiel
Oscar Sebastian Enroth   Guitar
Rude   Keyboards

Technical Credits

Serban Ghenea   Mixing
Stargate   Producer
Sandy Wilhelm   Composer,Programming,Instrumentation
John Hanes   Engineer,Mixing Engineer
Lee Oskar   Composer
James Newman   Composer
Mike Marsh   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Howard Scott   Composer
Ryan Tedder   Composer,Producer,Musical Producer
Noel Zancanella   Composer
Sam Watters   Composer,Producer,Vocal Producer,Recording Producer
Mikkel Storleer Eriksen   Composer,Engineer,Recording,Programming,Instrumentation
Brian Thompson   Composer
Chris Laws   Engineer,Programming
Harold Brown   Composer
Sandy Vee   Engineer,Recording
Simon Wilcox   Composer
Steve Fitzmaurice   Mixing
Steve Mac   Composer,Producer
Lonnie Jordan   Composer
Phil Tan   Mixing
Daniel Pursey   Engineer
Jacob Kasher   Composer
Ali Payami   Composer,Producer,Programming
Tom Coyne   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Rickardo Ducent   Composer
David Kutch   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Morris "B.B." Dickerson   Composer
Nick Raphael   A&R
Thomas Sylvester Allen   Composer
Ryan Shanahan   Mixing,Engineer
Jo Charrington   A&R
Tim Blacksmith   Producer,Executive Producer
Joe London   Producer
Danny D.   Producer,Executive Producer
Sam Holland   Engineer
Mike Sabath   Composer,Producer
Stephanie Jones   Composer
Thomas Warren   Engineer,Recording
Sam Preston   Composer
Randy Merrill   Mastering,Mastering Engineer,Mastering Assistant
Peter Karlsson   Vocal Producer
Aaron Jennings   Composer
Andrew Haas   Composer,Engineer,Recording,Programming
Ruth-Anne Cunningham   Composer
Jordan Johnson   Composer
Big Active   Design,Art Direction
Orville Burrell   Composer
Sam Roman   Composer
Tor Erik Hermansen   Composer,Programming,Instrumentation
Ben Rice   Engineer,Producer,Vocal Engineer,Vocal Producer,Recording Producer
Anton Zaslavski   Composer
Joe Spargur   Composer,Programming
Shaun Frank   Composer
Ed Drewett   Composer
Rudolph Huggins   Composer
Cory Bice   Assistant Engineer
Neil Ormandy   Composer
Alesso   Producer,Programming
Danny Schofield   Composer
Stefan Johnson   Composer,Engineer
Ed Sheeran   Composer
Charles Hinshaw   Composer
Phil Cook   Composer,Producer
Shaun Pizzonia   Composer
Charles William Miller   Composer
Ammar Malik   Composer
Zedd   Mixing,Producer
Marcus Lomax   Composer
Ali Tamposi   Composer
Alessandro Lindblad   Composer
Liam Payne   Composer,Mastering Engineer
Trevor Dahl   Producer
Jonathan Hoskins   Producer
Alexander Izquierdo   Composer
Serge Courtois   Mixing
James Abrahart   Composer
Nolan Lambroza   Composer,Engineer,Programming,Drum Programming
Evan "Kidd" Bogart   Composer
Ben "Bengineer" Chang   Engineer,Producer,Recording,Vocal Producer,Recording Producer
Ian Franzino   Composer,Engineer,Recording,Programming
Sir Nolan   Producer
Dylan Bauld   Composer,Producer,Musical Producer
Strangerz   Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer,Instrumentation
The Monsters   Producer,Programming,Vocal Producer,Instrumentation
Emanuel Abrahamsson   Composer
LunchMoney Lewis   Composer
DannyBoyStyles   Mixing,Producer,Programming
Sylvester Willy Sivertsen   Composer
Bill Zimmerman   Engineer,Mixing Engineer,Editing Assistant,Assistant Engineer
The Monsters & Strangerz   Producer,Programming,Musical Producer
John Paul Cooper   Composer
Andrew Watt   Composer,Vocal Producer
Fred Gibson   Composer,Producer,Programming
Quavious Marshall   Composer,Vocal Engineer
Aaron Zuckerman   Composer,Producer,Programming,Drum Programming,Assistant Engineer
Afterhrs   Producer
Charlie Puth   Composer
Cheat Codes   Musical Producer
Jeremy Lertola   Assistant Engineer
Guy James Robin   Composer
Tristan Landymore   Composer
Jose Alvaro Osorio Balvin   Composer
Jonas Blue   Mixing,Arranger,Producer,Programming,Recording Arranger
Fabienne Holloway   Composer
Oliver Peterhof   Composer
Jonny Price   Composer,Producer
Nirob Islam   Composer
German   Producer,Programming,Instrumentation
David Brown   Composer
Jeff Gunnell   Assistant Engineer
Sean Douglas   Composer
Artist Dubose   Composer
Jake Torrey   Composer
Carl Lehmann   Composer
Gian Stone   Engineer,Vocal Producer
Connor Mason   Assistant Engineer
James Duval   Composer
Michael Matosic   Composer
Charlie Knox   A&R
Sly   Producer
Marek Deml   Mixing Assistant,Editing Assistant
Jason Hetherington   Photography
Rude   Producer,Programming