Release of new single featuring late One Direction star postponed

A collaborator said on Tuesday that the release of a new single featuring Liam Payne, the former One Direction singer who died earlier this month after falling from his Buenos Aires hotel room, has been postponed. US singer and songwriter Sam Pounds posted on social media that the track "Do No Wrong" would be released on Friday as a "blessing to the world."

But later on Tuesday, he said the release would be postponed. "Even though we all love the song, it's not the time yet," he wrote in a post on X. "We are all still mourning the passing of Liam, and I want the family to mourn in peace and prayer. We will all wait."

Payne was found dead on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentinian capital. His death, aged 31, prompted a global outpouring of grief and condolences from family, former bandmates, fans and others. Hotel staff had called emergency services twice to report a guest "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" who was "destroying" a hotel room.

Payne had spoken publicly about struggles with substance abuse and coping with fame from an early age. The musician had collaborated on "Do No Wrong" with North Carolina singer Pounds before his death. Three versions of the song, including a live mix and a cappella single, were eventually to be released.

Payne's last solo work, a single called "Teardrops," was released in March. At the time, a second album was teased. The day after his death, Pounds posted a montage of tributes to him on Instagram, including a video of Payne in the recording studio for the track. "I can't believe I'm writing this post. I can't believe you are gone this way," he wrote.