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- "Building the Band" Kicks Off with Tribute to Liam Payne: 'We Never Imagined We'd Soon Be Saying Goodbye'</p>
<p>Daniela AvilaJuly 10, 2025 at 2:30 AM</p>
<p>Netflix</p>
<p>Liam Payne</p>
<p>Netflix's Building the Band began with a tribute to Liam Payne, who served as a guest judge on the show</p>
<p>Payne died months after filming the show in Buenos Aires, Argentina</p>
<p>AJ McLean, the show's host, opened up to PEOPLE about working with judges Payne, Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger</p>
<p>Netflix's inaugural singing competition show Building the Band — which also marks Liam Payne's final project before his sudden death in October 2024 at age 31 — is here.</p>
<p>At the top of the first episode, AJ McLean — who's the show's host — paid tribute to the late One Direction singer.</p>
<p>"When we came together to film Building the Band we never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne," McLean, 47, said.</p>
<p>He added, "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's through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family."</p>
<p>The first four episodes of Building the Band premiered on Wednesday, July 9. The show was first announced in August 2024, and filming kicked off that summer.</p>
<p>"The singers are in complete control as they seek to form their very own bands in individual 'booths' without ever seeing each other. All they have to go on is musical compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit," a synopsis for the show reads. "What will happen when the bands finally meet, and looks, choreography, and style come into play? With incredible performances, compelling drama, and one big goal — to find the next great music band — the stage is set for an unforgettable experience."</p>
<p>Courtesy of Netflix</p>
<p>Kelly Rowland, Liam Payne and Nicole Scherzinger</p>
<p>However, a few months after filming started, Payne tragically died in Buenos Aires, Argentina after falling from a hotel balcony. He was 31.</p>
<p>Speaking with PEOPLE ahead of the show's premiere, the Backstreet Boy member opened up about filming alongside judges Payne, Kelly Rowland and judge and star mentor Nicole Scherzinger.</p>
<p>"We all have history together... Destiny's Child opened up for us [Backstreet Boys] years and years and years ago, so I've known Kelly for at least 20 years," he says. "Nicole I've known for probably almost the same amount of time. So working with both of those ladies was just a dream. They're so amazing, they're so talented, they're so down to earth."</p>
<p>"When I was in New York doing some press, I had a couple days off, and I went and saw Sunset Boulevard, and I was blown away," he adds of Scherzinger's role as Norma Desmond in the Broadway revival.</p>
<p>After Payne's death, McLean says the stars "banded together" and discussed the memories they shared with the "Strip That Down" singer.</p>
<p>"[We] talked about working with him and all of our different times that we knew of working with him or seeing him over the years," he says. "It was really rough for all of us. But this show truly does, in my honest opinion, honor his legacy, and it's just really beautiful that fans get to see him the way he truly was."</p>
<p>on People</p>
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