Liam Payne has hinted on his new EP First Time that his former girlfriend Cheryl was the one who ended their relationship.
The One Direction star recently announced that he was pushing back the release of his debut solo album following his split from the British popstar in July, and would instead be releasing a four-track EP, which dropped on Friday.
On Depend On It, a stripped-back piano-led ballad, the 24-year-old hints that he wasn't ready to let go of their two-year relationship when 35-year-old Cheryl called time on it.
"We used to be lovin', touchin', kissin', like our lives depend on it/ How'd we get to lying, crying, always fighting like our lives depend on it?" he sings. "Oh there you go, putting words in my mouth/ It's about to go down/ I'm not ready yet, there's still a thread left/ If I could just hold on, onto unravelling hope, give it one last go/ I don't know why, just need us to try."
Other lyrics include, "Why you looking at me with angry eyes, are we ever gonna make it alive?" and, "How could I know what you had hiding there, behind those fire eyes…"
On Slow, a more uptempo number, the singer reveals that he knew the relationship was done, with the lyrics, "know that we're broken, know this was over months ago", but hopes to be let down slowly.
The first chorus goes, "If you're gonna let me down, let me down slow, tell me what I already, already know/ I know that you're mind is already made up, but give me one more night before we give up." In another chorus, the line changes to, "Just another minute I ain't ready to go."
The other two tracks, Home With You and First Time, featuring French Montana, focus more on his newfound single life.
Liam and Cheryl, parents to 17-month-old son Bear, announced their split on social media in July. As a result, Liam decided to go back into the studio and rework his solo album so it would "truly represent" him.