Who is Sam Pounds? The producer performed for Beyoncé and credits his mum with his success, but he was attacked for planning to release the song he wrote with Liam Payne right after the singer’s death

Nov 12 , 2024

After moving to LA, Pounds gained the attention of Madonna, Jamie Foxx and Wiz Khalifa, and dropped his first album last year; now he’s fielding criticism for his actions around Payne’s final song

Grammy-winning producer Sam Pounds recently took Liam Payne fans on an emotional ride in the wake of the former One Direction star’s death in Argentina. The two musicians had collaborated on a new track, “Do No Wrong”, that was set to be released posthumously on November 1. Just before the big day, though, Pounds decided to postpone the release, saying, “It’s not the time yet.”

Sam Pounds poses for a photo shoot in September. Photo: @iamsampounds/Instagram

Fans had been eagerly awaiting the song, but Pounds explained in a now-deleted statement on X, “I want all proceeds to go to a charity of [the Payne family’s] choosing” – something that would happen after they had the chance to “mourn in peace and prayer”.

Pounds has initially faced abuse online for announcing that he would go ahead with the track’s planned release date, with fans saying he was attempting to profit from Payne’s death by releasing the track so soon after the singer’s death. Addressing the criticism, Pounds fired off a “furious rant” on X, stating, “The narrative some of y’all (not all) are pushing is complete garbage and nonsense”. He went on to remind haters of the social media abuse Payne himself had faced, before emphasising the joyful bond the two created through music, saying, “Liam wanted y’all to hear our music. He has so many happy, amazing and optimistic ideas”.

So who is award-winning singer and producer Sam Pounds?

His grandma shaped his musical journey as a kid

In October, Sam Pounds paid tribute on Instagram to his grandmother, who had recently passed away. Photo: @iamsampounds/Instagram

Pounds’ musical roots can be traced back to his small hometown of Bahama, North Carolina. In an interview, he described how his Grandma Ruth had him singing and playing for guests every Sunday night from the age of three. “I literally grew up playing music and sports from day one,” Sam shared, recalling a childhood steeped in gospel and church hymns.

Sam Pounds is a Grammy-winning singer and producer

Sam Pounds in September, in a look inspired by his late father. Photo: @iamsampounds/Instagram

After graduating from North Carolina’s Barton College, Pounds moved to Los Angeles in 2019. He began turning heads performing at Black Rabbit Rose and eventually at celeb-favourite nightclubs, where Hollywood heavyweights like Madonna and Wiz Khalifa soon took notice of his talent. Pounds soon found himself working with Jamie Foxx on his film Back in Action, a move that proved to be a game-changer when Foxx personally set up a meeting for Pounds with Virgin Music’s top executives.