The late Liam Payne’s vocals from his 2014 contribution to the charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas? have been included in a newly remixed 40th-anniversary version of the song. Produced by Trevor Horn and supported by Band Aid founders Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, the release merges vocals from various iterations of the song, including performances by Payne, David Bowie, and Sinead O’Connor. This release aims to honor Payne’s legacy and others who contributed to earlier versions​​ .
Bob Geldof emotionally described Payne’s presence in the song as a testament to his enduring impact, noting that he is “alive with us” through this project. However, the song has been criticized by artists like Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG for perpetuating negative stereotypes about Africa. Fuse ODG released a separate charity single, We Know It’s Christmas, promoting a more empowering narrative about the continent ​​.
Payne’s family has not commented publicly on the inclusion of his voice in this project, which comes shortly after his tragic passing in October. While the remix aims to unite different generations of contributors, it has reignited debates about the representation of Africa in global charity campaigns​​ .
