Love is Blind meets X Factor? Sign me up. Building the Band on Netflix comes at a time when society is in desperate need of young, popular bands. We live in a tragic age of no Fifth Harmony, no One Direction, no 5SOS, etc. The kids are starving for highly addictive hooks and muses for their fanfic, so thank goodness Netflix is feeding them.
The new show follows 50 mostly American singers who listen to each other sing from pods and judge each other solely on vocals and vibes. After that, they form bands and attempt to wow the judges in order to win the ultimate prize: a global platform to launch a music career. (Interestingly, there’s no record deal attached, just the platform.)
The Building the Band premiere is bittersweet for One Direction fans — the talent competition show was one of Liam Payne’s final projects before he tragically died on October 16, 2024. The series is dedicated to the late singer and marks his first posthumous appearance.
Here’s what to know about Building the Band, including Liam Payne’s involvement and the release schedule.
The first four episodes dropped on Netflix on July 9. Episodes 5-7 will drop on July 16, and we can expect episodes 8-10 on July 23.
Before the One Direction star tragically died at age 31 last year, he was a guest on Building the Band, judging the contestants alongside Nicole Scherzinger and Kelly Rowland. Netflix decided to move forward with the show only after speaking with Liam’s family, and the series begins with a tribute to the singer.
“When we came together to film ‘Building the Band,’ we never imagined we’d soon be saying goodbye to our friend, Liam Payne,” host and Backstreet Boy AJ McLean says in the first episode. “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.” There are photos and videos of Liam’s time on the show as AJ adds, “It’s through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.”
Liam’s sister, Ruth Gibbins, shared on Instagram that she’s “heartbroken” her brother won’t get to see how “brilliant” he is as a Building the Band judge. Executive producer Cat Lawson told Deadline, “We all loved him and I think he was amazing in the show.”
Speaking with Today, AJ reflected on working with Liam. “He lit up any room that he walked into,” the Backstreet Boy shared. “Whether it was a dressing room, on set, where he was, he lit up that space with his energy, with his open heart, open mind. He was extremely, very well spoken, very articulate when it came to giving feedback as a mentor to these groups.” He called Liam “the coolest dude” on set.
Though I’m sure I’ll be sobbing, I’m looking forward to watching this show and seeing Liam happy and mentoring the new talent.
