Liam Payne celebrates What Makes You Beautiful nearing one billion streams

Liam Payne has celebrated One Direction’s song What Makes You Beautiful nearing one billion streams.

In a Wednesday Instagram post, the former One Direction member announced that the band’s 2011 debut single was nearing one billion streams.

“Wow I just got told we’re about to make a billion streams on wmyb (What Makes You Beautiful),” Liam captioned a throwback photo of the group. “Never in the making of this song so early in our career did I think I would be looking at those numbers what an achievement boys!”

He then gushed that he was “so lucky” to share the milestone with his former bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson and their “amazing fanbase”.

He continued, “Everyday I’m learning about myself and what was all of this for but now when I listen back and think of the power we all had including you as a fanbase I’m so happy that for 5 years we made such a great soundtrack to life for myself and everyone who got to listen sharing laughter pain and everything in between miss you boys. Lots of love me x.”

What Makes You Beautiful was released in September 2011, months after the band was created on The X Factor U.K in late 2010.

Zayn left the group in March 2015 and the remaining foursome went on an indefinite hiatus in January 2016.