Liam Payne's career reportedly faced a significant setback in the final months of his life. Prior to his tragic death on Wednesday, the 31-year-old singer had postponed the release of his second solo album due to industry struggles. A source revealed to The Sun on October 8 that Payne had not recovered from parting ways with his manager.

"Things are tough for Liam at the moment," the insider stated. "His former manager Roger stepped back earlier this year. He was a steady hand for Liam, and he appears to be struggling without his guidance." The source further added, "Things have started to seem slightly erratic, with plans being made before they are canceled last minute."

Payne, according to the insider, was "doing really well on his second album," which was supposed to be titled "Teardrops," but he ended up putting the record "completely on pause." "Liam is telling people now he has no idea if it'll ever be released," the source alleged. Additionally, a planned documentary about Payne's "struggle with growing up in the spotlight" was also shelved.

The former One Direction member released "Teardrops," the lead single to his then-planned second studio album of the same name, on March 1. The song was co-written by Payne, his frequent collaborator Jamie Scott, and *NSYNC's JC Chasez. "Teardrops" marked Payne's first single in three years since 2021's "Sunshine."

Payne teased his second album at a fan event earlier this year, stating that his new music was inspired by his life. "This time, the scariest part is that every one of these songs is a story from my life," he said. "And they're really close to me. I hope people feel that through every song, that I actually felt whatever it is you're feeling right now listening to this."

Payne was a member of One Direction from 2010 until their disbandment in 2016. He released five studio albums with the group, which also included Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson. After the group's split, Payne found early success as a solo artist with the release of his debut single "Strip That Down." His first studio album, "LP1," was released in December 2019 and peaked at #111 on the US Billboard 200.

Payne was set to go on tour in Latin America in the summer of 2023 but had to postpone the tour after being hospitalized for a kidney infection. "It's with a heavy heart I have to tell you that we have no other choice but to postpone my upcoming tour of South America," he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. He added that doctors advised him to miss the tour to "rest and recover."

Three months before postponing the tour, Payne, who struggled with alcohol and drug abuse, told iFL TV he was over 100 days sober and was back to making music. "I've been making an album for a change, which is quite fun," he shared about his planned second album. "It's been good, I'm excited to bring it out, and I definitely want to tour this time."

Payne tragically fell to his death from his third-floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. First responders rushed to the CasaSur Palermo Hotel after receiving an emergency call from his frantic manager about a guest who was "putting his life at risk" while under the influence of "drugs and alcohol." Witnesses alleged that the British musician was acting "erratic" before his death. Photos of Payne's hotel room showed a smashed television, a half-empty glass of what appeared to be champagne, remains of a burned candle, the burned top of a drink can, and traces of a white powder that authorities will reportedly test to confirm suspicions it could be cocaine.

Payne's family issued a statement expressing their support for each other and requesting privacy "at this awful time." Famous music artists like Charlie Puth, Rita Ora, Zedd, and Noah Cyrus have shared social media tributes to Payne in the wake of his passing. The members of One Direction have yet to speak out about the tragedy.