The 'Strip That Down' singer shared he spent some time in Louisiana after becoming someone he didn't recognize anymore.
Liam Payne is heading in a new direction!
In a new YouTube video posted on Sunday, the former One Direction singer revealed that he is making his return following some time away from the public eye -- and offline.
"I just needed to take some time out for myself," he shared. "Actually because I kinda became somebody that I didn't recognize anymore and I'm sure you actually didn't either."
Payne, 29, shared that his time away came after his interview on Logan Paul's Impulsive podcast in 2022, where he made some comments about his time in One Direction and more specifically about ex-bandmate Zayn Malik, which triggered backlash online.
"I'm not going to let anybody else take the blame for the stuff I said," Payne told the camera. "I know there was a lot of hate online. I think for me a lot of what I said just came from the wrong place. I was so angry at what was going on around me and instead of taking a look inwards, I was looking outwards at everybody else and I just took it out on everybody else and it was just wrong, really, and my own frustrations with my own career and where I kinda landed."
At the time of the interview, Payne noted many things that he "disliked" about Malik following his public split with Gigi Hadid. The same week, Payne walked back the comments.
Payne, Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson were in the successful group, which went on an indefinite hiatus in 2015.
In his latest video, the "Strip That Down" singer further apologized.
"Obviously, I wanted to apologize about that," he said. "That wasn't about me. One of the biggest remarks I made was about One Direction ... and a lot of self-protection I suppose, in that moment, more than anything. The rest of the boys kinda came to the rescue when I needed them the most, even Zayn as well, which is why I did send him a little thank you online. It was hard to watch back."
Payne noted that his comments were "big-headed."
The "Familiar" singer added that the moment was one of the "life-changing" incidents that made him take the steps to change his life, which is why he entered a facility in Louisiana.
"One of those life-changing moments that changed my life in a way," he said. "I have had a lot of time to recollect over those moments. I kinda had to go away to kinda get better. The whole thing up to that point was just a scramble to stay relevant."
Payne shared that he had his phone turned off for the entire 100-day stay and worked on finding the things he was passionate about, including art. Now that he's back, he said that he is working to continue to be a better person.
"Ever since then, I've just been trying to learn to get to know this new guy," he said.
Payne also elaborated more on his sobriety -- which he celebrated the 100-day point in May.
The singer said that while at a concert with a friend who was sober, he realized that he no longer wanted to consume alcohol.
"I was like, 'This isn't serving me at all, I don't really need this right now,'" he said about the moment he had his last drink. "Which has almost been six months. Which I'm excited about. It's good, it's good to be in this position and yeah, I definitely don't need those things anymore. Party's over."
Payne says that he is set to hit the road in South America for a little tour, and that he is focused on what's ahead, after working on the past.
"I could keep going about what's behind me and the many, many, many, many mistakes I've made up until this point, but it def humbled me," he said.
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