Liam Payne, a singer with boy band One Direction, has signed a solo record deal with Capitol Records.

Payne is now the third member of the band seeking a solo career. Before him, Zayn Malik left the band to start a solo career and Harry Styles signed a solo contract with Columbia Records.

The band was formed in 2010 on the music reality X Factor U.K. It has since sold more than 46 million albums and singles worldwide, with four albums rising to the top of Billboard 200 - record chart.

One Direction is currently on a "extended hiatus" that is expected to last more than a year. The group said the point of the break was to allow them to work on solo projects, but they still "plan to work together in the future."

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