1D'S LIAM INKS WITH CAPITOL U.K.

Expect One Direction star Liam Payne to announce a solo deal with Capitol U.K.’s Nick Raphael and Jo Charrington—the first 1D solo signing outside the Sony system. While many observers expected Sony to stay in this one, Universal prevailed.

The question of which U.S. label Liam will be on within the UMG system remains to be decided by the artist, but Raphael and team have helped steer such key U.K. signings as Sam Smith and 5 Seconds of Summer to Steve Barnett’s Capitol mothership, with much success. All this of course occurs in the wake of Columbia’s splashy deal for 1D heartthrob Harry Styles, not to mention the chart success of first-out-of-the-gate member and RCA solo artist ZAYN, whose lead single, “PILLOWTALK,” has racked up 1.3m+ in sales.

One Direction earned $125m in 2015 alone, the majority coming from their 74-date world tour, which earned seven-figure grosses at each stop. Albums Up All Night (2011) and Take Me Home (2012) have sold 2m+ RTD, while 2013’s Midnight Memories moved 1.5m+ and Four (2014) sold more than 1m. Singles “What Makes You Beautiful” (2011, 4.9m) and “Story of My Life’ (2013, 2.9m) are their top-selling tracks. The lads initially announced their hiatus in August, three months before they released, Made in the A.M., the last album under their SYCO/Columbia deal, which has sold 860k RTD.

Your move, Louis and Niall.