A long and winding history of Liam Payne’s most unexpected vibe shifts

In every friendship group, there’s one unpredictable bloke. A chaotic, confusing, enigma who’s next move can never be guessed and who’s decision making will forever be illogical. For One Direction, that man is Liam Payne. Over the past (near) decade since the band’s demise, the 29-year-old from Wolverhampton has made so many unexpected moves – the latest being a charity face off with Tommy Fury –  we really have no choice but to do a roundup. Someone’s got to keep track of the mayhem.

August 2018 – The Strip that Down dance is born

Liam’s solo career has had many highs and lows, with one particular peak being this piece of choreography he performed on stage to his hit single Strip that Down five years ago. With Russian folk dance-esque leg kicks and a legitimate thrusting and body ripples, the moves have, obviously, been memed within an inch of their life and are still being recreated on TikTok today.

@eyronwastaken_

#dance #liampayne #stripthatdown #fypシ #fyp #foryou #tiktok

♬ Originalton – ꪑ𝓲ꪖ

April 2022 – Liam enters his Welsh accent era

Credit: Good Morning Britian

Nothing was more left field for everyone’s 2022 bingo card than when Liam gave his two pence on the Will Smith Oscars slap live from the red carpet in a an Irish-Welsh-American car crash accident. Claiming he was drunk, Liam later revealed: I was staying in a house with two German people, three people from Texas, one person from Liverpool and me. It sounded like one of those jokes people say about an Irishman and an Englishman walk into a pub – and that’s what came out.” Normal!

June 2022 – He breaks the internet with One Direction smack talk

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Credit: Impaulsive Podcast

Just two months after the red carpet accent fandango, Liam joined Logan Paul on his Impaulsive podcast and revealed some One Direction fight gossip that sent TikTok into verified pandemonium. “One member in particular threw me up a wall”, he claimed, “so I said to him, ‘if you don’t remove those hands there’s a high likelihood you’ll never use them again.'” Hard.

December 2022 – He spends 50 hours painting a tribute to the Queen

Credit: Instagram

As if he couldn’t have any more of a tonal vibe shift, six months after chatting shit about his former band mates, Liam enters his wholesome era and dedicates an absurd 50 hours of his life to painting a 4.5ft tall oil canvas portrait of the Queen. Will he do the same for Charles on his coronation? Only time will tell. The Tate Modern is holding its breath.

April 2023 – He seemingly challenges Tommy Fury to a boxing match

Credit: Soccer Aid

And, in his latest viral moment, Liam set Twitter alight on Wednesday when he posted this photo that looked like he was about to square up to Tommy Fury in a boxing ring at Old Trafford. Turns out, he’s just taking part in Soccer Aid. Thank God. He lives to see another uniquely unhinged day. Here’s to the most unpredictable man in showbiz.

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