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First Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- First Post
Netflix's 'Building the Band' has Liam Payne's last major appearance before his death
The show features Payne as a guest judge, offering pointed but witty advice to young bands chasing success not unlike what he achieved as part of the culture-shifting boy band, One Direction read more Netflix's new reality show, 'Building the Band,' unexpectedly became Liam Payne's last major appearance — moments the show's hosts say they, along with contestants and viewers, are lucky to have. The show features Payne as a guest judge, offering pointed but witty advice to young bands chasing success not unlike what he achieved as part of the culture-shifting boy band, One Direction. Payne died in October after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, not long after the show's production wrapped. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Getting to see the real, true him that the world gets to remember him for, which you'll see on this show, is just a beautiful thing,' says the Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean, the show's host. 'Building the Band' flips traditional music competitions on their head, bringing together 50 up-and-coming artists who are tasked with singing for each other and forming groups based on those performances. The catch? They can't see how anyone looks. The first batch of episodes premiered in early July and the last few episodes, including the finale, will drop Wednesday. The show ultimately follows six bands working to develop their group sound and performances — until only one band is left standing, winning the $500,000 prize. The show is hosted by McLean, with Pussycat Dolls frontwoman — and newly minted Tony winner — Nicole Scherzinger mentoring the bands and Destiny's Child star Kelly Rowland serving as a guest judge alongside Payne. The series opened with a dedication to Payne and his family, in which McLean said they 'never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend' while filming the show. Payne first appears in the seventh episode for the showcase, where each band performs in front of a live audience and the judges, only about a week after they form. 'We were amazing dancers, obviously, in One Direction,' Payne joked in the episode while offering critiques to boy band Midnight 'til Morning, whose members expressed hesitations with dancing onstage. Band member Mason Watts then revealed his family had won tickets to sit front row at a One Direction concert when he was 11, stoking applause from the crowd and a heartfelt response from Payne. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Ever since that moment, I wanted to be in a group,' Watts, originally from Australia, said in the episode. 'It's kind of a full-circle moment to be here with a group and performing in front of you. So, thank you, man.' Landon Boyce, a member of the show's other boy band, Soulidified, told The Associated Press that Payne left a lasting impact and was a leading example of how he hopes to carry himself as a performer. 'I remember Liam just said, 'Have fun,'' Boyce says. 'He just told us, 'I wish One Direction kind of, like, did what you guys were doing.' And I kind of just took that as like, let's just have fun and dance.' Payne is seen nodding along with excitement during the band's showcase performance, when they sang 'Sure Thing' by Miguel. Bradley Rittmann, another Soulidified member, told the AP they were 'on Cloud 9' after Payne said he would join their band. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Payne applauded their ability to own the stage and acknowledged the unconventionality of their band due to the members' varying musical and fashion styles, saying he 'wouldn't put you guys together, but the result was amazing.' This show mashes together the likes of 'Love is Blind' with music competition shows like 'The Voice,' secluding contestants in pods, where they can only hear each other. Contestants can express interest by hitting a button during the performance, and then speak through voice chats to test their chemistry. The initial 50 contestants dwindled to just 22, comprising two boy bands, three girl bands and one mixed-gender group. Contestants chose their bandmates without input from the host or judges. 'It formed in the most real, raw, authentic way,' says Aaliyah Rose Larsen, a member of the mixed-gender band SZN4. 'I think we would have re-found each other in a million other lifetimes, in a billion other shows, because we were always meant to find each other.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The result of this process, judges say, are bands that labels traditionally wouldn't form, given members' differences in style and appearance — an important pillar of the show, McLean and Rowland say, given the current state of the music industry. 'Back in the beginning of our careers, your sophomore album was the one that would make or break you. Now you get one shot,' McLean says. 'To be able to give the power back to these individuals, to let them put each other together based on just raw talent and chemistry, never seeing each other, is a testament to truly what it is to be in a band.' An audience vote determines which bands continue on after each live performance. The last episode of the first batch left viewers on a cliffhanger, as Midnight 'til Morning and girl group Siren Society were voted in the bottom two. The next batch will reveal who was eliminated. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Rowland says Payne was fully invested in the process and checked in regarding the bands' progress after filming. Payne had also expressed interest in mentoring the bands after the show ended, Boyce remembers. 'He was just honest. He called everything out, you know what I mean? Before they saw it, before we saw it,' Rowland says, adding that Payne had 'many shining moments' during his storied and decorated career, 'but this was a really incredible one.' Nori Moore, a member of 3Quency, 'had a lot of firsts' in the show as a young performer and says Payne's advice to contestants that they claim the moment every time they walk onstage was pivotal to her development as an artist. Larsen says viewers can watch the show and 'see his heart.' 'We know how much he loves the show,' says Katie Roeder, another SZN4 member. 'I know he's very proud of us and looking down on us.'
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Liam Payne shines amid criticism of Netflix's Building The Band reality show
Critics have savaged new Netflix series Building The Band, describing it as 'spectacularly misjudged,' 'painfully unfunny,' and 'a chaotic mess,' but many agreed on one thing: Liam Payne is 'the best thing' about it. The reality series, which landed on the streaming platform today (July 9), was filmed before Payne's shock death last October aged 31, when he fell from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Argentina. It features the former One Direction star in a key mentoring role. His contribution - kept in with the support of his family - has been widely praised for its warmth and authenticity, offering one of the few standout moments in a show many reviewers have otherwise called derivative. Hosted by Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean, with Nicole Scherzinger as lead judge and joined by Kelly Rowland and Payne, the 10-part competition sees aspiring singers attempt to build bands from scratch without input from music executives or producers. Most damning was The i Paper, which questioned the show's very existence in the wake of Payne's death. It raised concerns about how such talent formats affect young performers' mental health and whether enough protections are in place. 'Obviously, the flashy trailer displays no awareness of the grim irony that were it not for programmes just like this that promise desperate, hopeful singers a future of success and stardom, Payne might still be alive,' it writes. The Telegraph was also not won over, declaring the show 'an insincere singing contest' and criticising its format as a mashup of The X Factor, The Circle and Love Is Blind. Still, it highlighted Payne's appearance in episode seven as the emotional high point. 'He judges the acts with kindness and constructive criticism,' the review by the publication read, adding that an Australian contestant's heartfelt story about seeing One Direction as a child visibly moves him. 'It's right that the producers, backed by the family, decided to keep his contribution in. But it's also pretty sad.' The Guardian, meanwhile, offered a more reserved three-star verdict. While calling the series 'fine, watchable, well-crafted,' the paper criticised early episodes for feeling 'drawn out and repetitive.' It also questioned the concept's relevance in today's music scene. 'I did wonder why Building the Band would focus on groups in an era dominated by solo artists, but perhaps it's less about music and more about creating spectacle,' the reviewer wrote. The Standard's own Saskia Kemsley was the kindest, awarding the show four stars. Kemsley praised Building the Band for tapping into the legacy of early 2000s TV juggernauts like The X Factor, the show that helped launch Payne's career. 'For lifelong One Direction fans, Payne's presence is bittersweet – but he's a grounded, respectful presence here, and the series handles his legacy with care,' the review reads. She continued: 'Like clockwork, tensions flare. Those who falter often lash out, giving the show its requisite dose of drama. But Building the Band isn't just about meltdowns. It's also a showcase for powerful mentorship, and few moments are more affecting than Payne's.'
Scottish Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Liam Payne is ‘amazing' in Building The Band, says Netflix exec as they share update on tragic 1D star's final project
TRAGIC pop star Liam Payne is 'amazing' on Netflix talent show Building The Band, according to a series exec. The late One Direction star's final project sees Liam as a judge alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland with Backstreet Boys' AJ McClean as host. 2 Liam Payne is 'amazing' on Netflix talent show Building The Band, says a show insider 2 Liam is a judge on Netflix's new talent contest, his last project before his passing in October last year Credit: Getty The first four episodes drop today. Showrunner Cat Lawson said: 'The show is dedicated to Liam. We all loved him and he was amazing in the show.' She added that Liam's death in October deeply affected the team, adding: 'You get to know people really quickly [on these shows] and he was a glorious person.' The show is a blend of The Voice and Love Is Blind, with singers auditioning in closed containers so they're selected on talent alone. Last month, The Sun revealed that the show kicked off with a special dedication to the memory of Liam and his family. Before the competition started, host AJ appeared on screen to pay tribute to the star. AJ says: 'When we came together to film Building The Band, we never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne. 'Liam is a guest judge in later episodes and through his presence we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice. 'It is through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.' It was a bittersweet moment for fans of Liam and One Direction last week when Netflix dropped the trailer for the show, and featured him extensively throughout.
The Irish Sun
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Liam Payne is ‘amazing' in Building The Band, says Netflix exec as they share update on tragic 1D star's final project
TRAGIC pop star Liam Payne is 'amazing' on Netflix talent show Building The Band, according to a series exec. The late One Direction star's final project sees Liam as a judge alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland with Backstreet Boys' AJ McClean as host. Advertisement 2 Liam Payne is 'amazing' on Netflix talent show Building The Band, says a show insider 2 Liam is a judge on Netflix's new talent contest, his last project before his passing in October last year Credit: Getty The first four episodes drop today. Showrunner Cat Lawson said: 'The show is dedicated to Liam. We all loved him and he was amazing in the show.' She added that The show is a blend of The Voice and Love Is Blind, with singers auditioning in closed containers so they're selected on talent alone. Advertisement READ MORE ON LIAM PAYNE Before the competition started, host AJ appeared on screen to pay tribute to the star. AJ says: 'When we came together to film 'Liam is a guest judge in later episodes and through his presence we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice. Advertisement Most read in News TV 'It is through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.' It was a bittersweet moment for fans of Liam and One Direction last week when Building the Band: First Look, Netflix
San Francisco Chronicle
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Why ‘& Juliet' is the smartest dumb musical you need to watch
The Backstreet Boys' 'I Want It That Way' might have made teeny boppers lose their minds a quarter-century ago, but the Grammy-nominated track might have finally self-actualized as duet by a playwriting couple haggling over how a show should end. (Apologies to Nick Carter et al. and my seventh-grade peers, but it's true.) Likewise, did you know that Bon Jovi's 'It's My Life' is secretly an anthem for coming back from the dead? Or that Britney Spears' 'I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman' is a tremulous ballad of self-discovery for a nonbinary person daring to envision, reckon with and claim their identity? The production is anchored by two generative constraints: One, Anne Hathaway (Teal Wicks) insists that her husband William Shakespeare (Corey Mach) rewrite 'Romeo and Juliet' so that its heroine (Rachel Simone Webb) doesn't kill herself at the end but gets to go on adventures, exercise agency and learn how to own her choices. And two, she's propelled on her journey by the incomparable pop catalog of Swedish composer Max Martin, with its earnest relatability and devilish hooks. In scene after scene, that premise plays like a theatrical round of pop music bingo. You wonder what bit of Billboard 100 ubiquity the dialogue is teeing up, and then when the first notes of Ariana Grande or Katy Perry strike, the first person in the audience to audibly recognize it wins. But everyone else wins, too, when P! nk and Demi Lovato hits reveal themselves in a new context, appreciating anew just how sturdy yet flexible Martin's oeuvre is. The overall effect is a bit like combining 'Six' and 'Moulin Rouge! The Musical' — a pop medley gives pop feminism to the Renaissance. Let's be clear: Pop and musical theater are different art forms. When we turn on the radio, we want something easy on the ears, that can fade into the background. Here, vocal flatness can be a virtue; it doesn't call too much attention to itself or demand much of its listener. So to hear conservatory-trained voices give shape, shading and heft to familiar tunes also offers a new way to relish what's special about bursting into song onstage. As Juliet absconds with a band of friends to Paris, where new star-crossed loves await, Webb gives her a voice with the depth of a cavern with many secret chambers of pools. Nick Drake, playing her nonbinary BFF, May, sings with both a feathery tenderness and a bristly inborn drama. Meanwhile, Wicks gives each note a beginning, middle and end of yearning, like a mom brushing the tangles out of your hair with loving firmness. Comedic chops are just as well honed. Michael Canu as a himbo gives simple ideas the soul-deep focus that's only possible when you have one precious brain cell. Mateus Leite Cardoso as the geeky François, Juliet's potential new match, uses a vocal fry whine to delightful effect; it's the nebbish's only defense against the forces of fate. As Lance, François' father, Paul-Jordan Jansen deploys an accent so cheesy that melted brie might actually be lining his vocal cords. Perhaps inevitably, '& Juliet' can feel like an overstuffed grab bag of romcom and pop music formulas. Tug at its easy girl power politics ever so slightly, and the seams unravel, revealing a narrative as safe and tidy as any Hollywood drivel. Formulas get a bad rap, but the thing is, they work. They release our inner pressure valves, quench our cravings. '& Juliet' works best when it embraces exactly how dumb those old tricks are. The Backstreet Boys should not be able to patch up a marriage, and yet they do — and we want them to — sure as a pop song returns to its I chord.
