AJ McLean Texted 'Old Soul' Liam Payne 1 Day Before His Tragic Death: 'We Spoke Candidly About Sobriety'

AJ McLean revealed he spoke with Liam Payne one day before his tragic death on Wednesday, October 16.

While speaking with a news outlet, the Backstreet Boys member, 46, texted the One Direction singer: "Hey man, are you good?"

“[We spoke] candidly about sobriety, sharing stories and one-upping each other. We could laugh about it all,” McLean, who has struggled with substance abuse, said, noting that he wanted to reach out to Payne, who fell to his death after falling off a balcony at his Argentina hotel, since they hadn't spoken in nearly two weeks. “Because if you’re still there to talk about it, that means you’re moving in a good direction.”

“I can torture my brain about ‘Why didn’t he respond?’ But I get it,” McLean, who became friendly with Payne while on set of the upcoming Netflix series Build the Band, continued. “I just hope people remember him the way he was — a massive heart and a massive talent.”

The singer said he felt like an "older brother" to Payne and wanted to help him through his own issues. “He was an absolute light, such an old soul,” McLean said of the late star, who was candid about his mental health struggles. “But you could tell you were talking to someone who had seen some s---, who had not lived a normal life.”

As OK! previously reported, Payne's preliminary autopsy revealed that Payne suffered from multiple “severe” injuries, and he had a mix of drugs in his system, including pink cocaine, which is a mix of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA

“I feel like there will never be a definitive answer as to why this happened. That’s the most painful thing to sit with. Why now? Why this way?” he said of his untimely death. “But there’s no rhyme or reason when you’re hurting and looking for escape."

McLean previously gushed about getting to know Payne better after working on the TV show.

“Liam was a friend. We had just finished filming a TV show together,” McLean told TMZ in October. “We spent six weeks together, and you know, it’s absolutely tragic. I’m still processing it, I’m sure as well as his family and friends and bandmates. It’s absolutely tragic, and my thoughts and prayers go out to everyone — the family, his bandmates, to the fans.

The dad-of-two previously told OK! how fortunate he feels to be on the other side and in a good spot after being in and out of rehab over the years.

"I am humbled," he shared in late September. "And I'm grateful. It's still one day at a time, and it's something I will be dealing with for the rest of my life — and that's OK. There's been a huge shift in me I'd say in the last four to six months that has really been the biggest change. It's very noticeable by those around me that have known me through the good and the bad. It's nice to be noticed. It's also nice to be noticed as Alex [his true authentic self] and not as AJ, the Backstreet Boy. It's a very serendipitous time for me. I'm very grateful. I've lost 12 friends in the last couple of years, so if sharing my experience helps even one person, I've done my part."

The Los Angeles Times spoke with McLean.