One Direction’s Liam Payne Says He’s ‘Hard at Work’, Probably on His Solo Album

One Direction may be on hiatus, but that doesn't mean that the boys aren't busy, busy, busy: From Zayn Malik's chart-topping debut, Mind of Mine, to Harry Styles' much-buzzed acting gig in Dunkirk, the forthcoming 2017 war film from Christopher Nolan, and yes, even to Louis Tomlinson's new role as a devoted (and protective) dad to baby Freddie, each Direction has been hard at work laying the groundwork for the future.

As for Liam Payne? He's been "hard at work" to...in the studio, of course.

The singer shared a psychedelic fish-eye lens image of himself in a recording studio, tinkering on a keyboard and other production gear, today (September 15) on Instagram. Captioning the photo with a coy "Hard at work," Payne seemed to tease fans that he may already be crafting his debut solo album.

Back in July, the performer, who is currently dating British pop star Cheryl Fernandez-Versini, confirmed speculation that he had been working on inking a solo deal outside of his work with the ultra-successful boy band, announcing on Twitter that he had signed with Capitol Records.

"One Direction will always be my home and family but I’m very excited to see what this chapter brings," he wrote in one tweet.

We're excited to see and hear what it brings, too.

See Liam's Instagram photo, below:

One Direction Through The Years