AJ McLean reveals ONE Liam Payne's memory he'll never erase

AJ McLean has kept something personal in memory of Liam Payne.

In a recent chat with People at the premiere of Building the Band, the Backstreet Boys member has saved a recording of his final conversation with the late One Direction alum

"I've not deleted it. I've kept it on my phone as a constant reminder of who he was. He was a very positive, uplifting person," McLean, who served as a host at the Netflix show, told the outlet.

McLean went on to gush about Payne's witty nature, "He had a real quick wit about him. I don't know if it was the British humor or just him as a person. I think that was one of the things that him and I really, really gelled immediately with. Both of us were sarcastic and fun and funny, and always making jokes and pranks and just having fun with everybody on set."

It is pertinent to mention that Payne stars as a guest judge at the music show along with Kelly Rowland and Nicole Scherzinger. His scenes were filmed before his death in the summer of 2024.

"But also as an artist, he was extremely talented. Not only as a singer-performer, but as a songwriter-producer, and he truly did light up the room when he'd walk on set," McLean added.

Building the Band marked its beginning by paying a touching tribute to Payne, who untimely died at 31 after falling from a balcony of a multistory building in Buenos Aires, Argentina.