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I’ve lost count of number of times I had gone onto YouTube to look for everything related to “Teardrops”, with the thought of “Gosh, I’m tempted to go into songwriting”. In fact, I was listening to the tail-end of “Teardrops” this morning when my mum asked: Whose voice is that? I replied: Liam’s (voice). Sigh. This is and will be his last song, I continued. Suffice to say, this song can be appealing to both the young and the old.

Take it from me, someone who hardly paid attention to his songs, but would go: Oh! His song-ah? I didn’t know – cue Polaroid and cue the one where Rita Ora also sings in.

Anyway, back to the original topic. The lyrics didn’t quite gel with me at first, but eventually, I realised that maybe simplicity is the key to making an earworm - even for non-fans like me.

A lyric video was released on 2 Mar 2024 on YouTube, and I was surprised at how animated, sad, yet meaningful the video turned out to be. At first, Liam’s face appears, singing – alongside drawings of eyes with tears and hearts. Then, through the video, viewers are invited to enjoy a shade of purple – which sticks throughout the rest of the song, with illustrations like animals, music notes and the related piano/organ keyboard. Those of you who play at least one musical instrument, like I do, will deeply appreciate this work of art. Interestingly, later, there’s not only animation of a rabbit, but also Yin and Yang.

I think this song, especially its corresponding lyric video, deserves much more visibility. If the music industry has failed Liam Payne for being raw and honest in songs, his fans better not fail him, please.

The second component related to “Teardrops” is the accompanying Studio Sessions/Behind the Scenes audio-visual, where you can see Liam Payne, rehearsing and emphasising a line from the song. He also explains the background and significance of the song, which makes it even harder to believe that such a talented person has departed this Earth.

Then there’s also the third related component – the acoustic version, where you can see him being human, even as someone who has tasted fame (however short-lived). Now, this is the compelling reason why even non-fans would bother writing about Liam Payne.

While there’s no correct order on which one to listen to first, I’d recommend listening to the lyric video, then the studio sessions, before moving onto the acoustic version.

The ballad was written by a trio including former ‘N Sync member JC Chasez and Liam Payne himself. That’s why there’s hints of ‘N Sync’s (older) songs. And hey, what about “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake, the former lead singer of ‘N Sync? Younger commenters are also saying that the music of Jason Derulo must have influenced Payne’s because the opening and the chorus remind listeners of Derulo’s signature technique. Meanwhile, there’s also one bit that reminds me of a Robbie Williams’ song.

To date, fans and non-fans are waiting for the news on whether or not there’ll be the accompanying music video.

*Notes: Jason Derulo, adopted for the stage, is an easier respelling of his family name Desrouleaux. Desrouleaux’s first language is Haitian Creole, spoken by up to 12million people worldwide and influenced by the French language.

The concepts of Yin and Yang are found in Chinese philosophy where Yin is a representation of the Earth and Moon (dark), is unique for its association with passivity, femininity and a negative outlook. Meanwhile, Yang, a representation of the light, is understood as having the following traits – masculine, active and positive. In order for life to exist, both must be in harmony and balance, although opposing in nature. The two are illustrated in a circle where one half of the circle is dark, and the other light, white. Hence why there’s this belief that where possible, one rests during Yin hours – and works during Yang hours.