AJ McLean Unveils First Look at “Building the Band,” the Late Liam Payne's Final Project: 'Unlike Anything You've Ever Seen'

Fans yet sewage a first glimpse astatine Netflix's upcoming series, Building nan Band.

AJ McLean unveiled a first look astatine nan show connected Saturday, May 31, astatine Netflix's Tudum unrecorded event. The show marks Liam Payne's last task earlier his abrupt death successful October 2024 astatine property 31.

Teasing nan series, McLean, who is group to big nan show, said it's "unlike thing you person ever seen earlier — spot me."

The Backstreet Boys member, 47, past added: "Today's astir talented singers successful nan world will audition for each different and take their ain bandmates earlier ever seeing them. Our judge and mentor, Nicole Scherzinger, and impermanent judges Kelly Rowland and nan precocious Liam Payne, are from immoderate of nan biggest bands of each time. This show is each astir 1 word: chemistry. And judge me: successful a band, you really request immoderate bully chemistry."

In nan sneak peek, nan singers get astatine nan workplace and caput into their respective booths, wherever they get a chance to meet different artists and perceive their respective euphony styles. Right disconnected nan bat, they get talking astir nan value of chemistry and nan trouble of uncovering bandmates without seeing each different first.

"I person a circumstantial benignant of group successful my head, specifically a woman group," 1 female says.

As they beryllium successful nan booth and perceive to each other's performances, nan singers are moved to tears and chills by each other's voices. "I wanna spot these group truthful bad," 1 man says.

In nan last moments of nan teaser, nan singers click a fastener — akin to nan style of The Voice — if they're willing successful teaming up pinch nan singers.

Building nan Band was announced successful August 2024, and filming kicked disconnected that summer.

"The singers are successful complete power arsenic they activity to shape their very ain bands successful individual ‘booths’ without ever seeing each other. All they person to spell connected is philharmonic compatibility, connection, chemistry and merit," a synopsis for nan show reads. "What will hap erstwhile nan bands yet meet, and looks, choreography, and style travel into play? With unthinkable performances, compelling drama, and 1 large extremity — to find nan adjacent awesome euphony set — nan shape is group for an unforgettable experience."

However, conscionable a fewer months later aft filming wrapped, Payne tragically died successful Buenos Aires, Argentina. The former One Direction star fell from a pavilion astatine his hotel. It was later confirmed he died of “polytrauma,” which intends aggregate injuries that impact aggregate organs aliases systems, according to the National Library of Medicine.

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Following his death, a root told PEOPLE that nan series' producers were shocked and saddened by nan nonaccomplishment of Payne. On May 14, 2025, Netflix confirmed the show will aerial arsenic planned, and characteristic Payne posthumously.

PEOPLE's root indicated that nan “Strip That Down” vocalist had nary behavioral issues during filming, and that location were zero issues connected group pinch nan star. In fact, nan root added that Payne was truthful fulfilled by his acquisition on Building nan Band that he wanted to proceed moving pinch nan bands aft accumulation ended.

McLean echoed those sentiments during a sheet astatine 90s Con successful Hartford, Conn. successful March 2025.

"The very past point Liam did was activity connected this astonishing TV show for Netflix called Building nan Band, which will beryllium retired this summer. And we're dedicating nan show to him," McLean said astatine nan time. "I sewage to really cognize him connected a individual level and we had a batch of very akin life experiences, some successful sobriety and retired of sobriety."

He besides paid tribute to Payne successful a tribute pursuing his death, revealing that they "became very adjacent almost instantly and shared truthful galore stories , laughs, and life experiences."

"You were specified a ray an unthinkable personification to beryllium successful nan beingness of regular while we worked together! I cannot judge you are gone," McLean added.