With baby faces, angelic voices and legions of teenage fans, Justin Bieber and Liam Payne were often compared to each other at the peak of their fame.
At the height of their fame, the members of One Direction had long-running “feuds” with other pop megastars, including the British band The Wanted.
But most notably, Liam, who died Wednesday night at age 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina, feuded with his lookalike Justin Bieber.
In their youth, someone unfamiliar with the pop scene could have been forgiven for mistaking Bieber and Liam as two baby-faced singers with angelic voices who sported masses of wavy, side-swept brown hair and charmed fans. from all over the world.
But, despite their initial feud, Liam previously revealed how he and Bieber eventually connected and learned they had a lot more in common than their boyish charm and good looks.
In a podcast segment with YouTube star Logan Paul filmed in 2022, which resurfaced in the wake of his tragic death, the One Direction member revealed that he had reached out to Bieber in an attempt to end the feud and alluded to some of the striking parallels between the pair in the early days of their careers.
Justin Bieber (left) and Liam Payne (right) rose to fame at the same time and looked alike
Speaking on Logan Paul’s podcast, Liam said the couple “reconciled” and bonded “over having the same illness.”
Liam Payne’s first taste of fame came on the X Factor in 2008, when he made it to the judges’ houses stage of the competition before being sent home. Two years later, when he came third in the contest as part of One Direction, his path may have crossed with Bieber for the first time.
The Canadian singing sensation, who also rose to fame at a young age, performed at one of The X Factors’ live shows in 2010, singing a mashup of Somebody to Love and Baby.
Although the pair did not appear on stage together, the parallels between the dark-haired boys at the time, who were just a year apart in age, were impossible to deny.
After the series concluded, Liam achieved global fame in One Direction, while Bieber’s solo career also went from strength to strength. The British boy band sold more than 70 million records worldwide, while Bieber sold more than 150 million.
But with success came the inevitable pop rivalries as the band and Bieber competed against each other for global domination. And the rivalry turned into a full-blown feud after a YouTube video showed Liam Payne appearing to attack the Canadian singer.
They both grew up in the spotlight, often dressing alike. Justin is seen on the left in 2010, Liam is seen on the right in 202
As the couple grew older, they often dressed similarly. Justin is pictured in 2020 on the left, Liam is pictured in 2023 on the right.
Speaking on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, Payne told his side of the story as he recalled speaking out on Instagram while “drunk” when someone mentioned Justin Bieber’s name.
Payne recalled, “I was like, ‘Well, the only thing between me and him is that I haven’t been arrested,'” while noting that he never intended to offend Bieber.
And he added: “Some meat started.”
Payne recalled how the feud, which began online, began to spill over into real life because One Direction and Bieber shared some fans and the stars themselves often ran into each other at awards ceremonies.
However, he noticed one awards ceremony in particular when both the band and Bieber were there, and Liam thought, “I’ll have a chat with him” to resolve the conflict.
Speaking about Bieber at the time, Liam noted: “He had grown as a person.”
He later recalled telling Bieber: “I’ve always had feelings for you… number one, I’ve done all the things you’ve done and I’ve never gotten caught for any of them… number two, I’ve always had feelings for you.” a lot for you, friend, and I think that in our situation we all suffer from the same illness.
Justin performs on X Factor in 2011, a year after Liam came third as part of One Direction.
Liam is seen in 2021 in London. She has often spoken about her relationship with Bieber.
He then claimed that he told the Canadian singer how, while he could lean on his bandmates in times of conflict, Bieber was a solo artist who might not have had the same support system.
Payne claims Bieber’s response was, “Bro, that gave me chills.” From there, the couple became friends.
He added that, following his own experiences, he wanted to help other young people and children entering show business deal with the overwhelming nature of the industry.
Liam told the same story to Rollacoaster magazine in 2017, where he described Bieber as “a great guy” with a “very good heart.”
He added of the moment he broke bread with the Canadian singer: “I told him, ‘Take my number and every time you want to chat, let me know because I’m here and I understand exactly what you’re going through and I understand your world.'”
Justin is seen in his fame debut in 2009.
Liam performs on X Factor in 2008; he was eliminated at Judge’s Houses before returning two years later.
In the wake of Payne’s tragic death after falling from the third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, people who knew the singer have recalled his early years in the industry and how, at the time, Bieber was the pinnacle of fame Liam could one day achieve.
Konnie Huq, who hosted The X Factor spin-off show The Xtra Factor, recalled telling Payne in 2010 that he could “be as big as (Bieber) one day.”
She recalled that the One Direction star was “self-deprecating” but noted that he “absolutely got to that level.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Huq said it was “very correct” to call him “just a boy”.
“Really, all he’s known in his adult life, and also in his pre-adult life, to some extent, is being in the spotlight and, you know, being thrust into this position of world fame, not just being known. in your own country, but everywhere, essentially.’
She added: “I remember we had Justin Bieber on the show, and Liam had the same hairstyle, he had a striking resemblance, so we got him to come on the show.” She was very embarrassed to meet Justin.