One Direction's Liam Payne signs solo record deal

One Direction's Liam Payne has signed a solo record deal with Capitol Records UK.

The 22-year-old said he was "really happy" to have signed to "such a prestigious label".

In a statement he said: "One Direction will always be my family; I'm now excited to show what I can do as a solo artist."

Other artists on the same label as him include Sam Smith and 5 Seconds of Summer.

Liam tweeted that he hoped he could follow in the footsteps of artists who'd been signed to the label previously.

He's the first member of One Direction to sign a record deal away from the band's parent company, Sony.

Capitol Records UK is part of another major label, Universal.

There's no word on when to expect any new music from the singer but he'll be heading into the studio shortly.

Liam put up an Instagram picture of his name on a Capitol Records vinyl.

Nick Raphael, the president of Capitol Records UK, said: "It's not often you get the chance to sign such a talented and ambitious 22-year-old who has already conquered the world."

So far, Zayn is the only 1D member to have released a solo album. Mind of Mine went to number one in the UK Official Album Chart in March.

Harry Styles has also signed a solo deal with Colombia, although he's currently filming Christopher Nolan's World War Two movie Dunkirk so music is not expected any time soon.

Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson are both working on various projects at the moment.

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