The death of singer-songwriter Liam Payne at the age of 31, a former member of the popular boy band One Direction, took the entire world by surprise last Oct 16, leaving many loyal fans from all over the globe to express their grief through various ways like heartfelt letters, prayer vigils and flower offerings.
While long-time fans of both the singer and the boy band continue to grieve for the untimely loss of their beloved idol, the same can be said for the other members of One Direction who had been left devastated by Payne’s passing.
After four years of inactivity, the remaining former members Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles have released a joint statement on the official Instagram account of One Direction, expressing their grief over the tragedy.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” the boy band’s statement read.
Apart from their statement as a group, they have also gone on their own personal accounts to recount some of their memories and pay tribute to Payne, who had come to be a huge part of their lives.
Posting a photo of himself and Payne in their teenage years, Malik spoke about how he has been talking aloud to the late singer as if he can hear him and expressed his immense gratitude for the role that he played not only in his career but also in his life.
“I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,” said Malik in his post.
Tomlinson echoed this sentiment in his own post where he shared a photo of himself with Payne onstage in one of One Direction’s concerts. While reminiscing how their bond has strengthened throughout the years, he also said that he would be an uncle that Payne’s son Bear would need now that he is no longer around.
“I wish I got [the] chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well,” said Tomlinson.
Meanwhile, Styles expressed his grief through recounting how the late singer was a person who has touched the lives of many people all over the world.
“The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life,” said Styles.
Being the last among the four to have seen Payne because of his concert in Buenos Aires, Horan shared how fortunate he was to have been able to see him recently.
“I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking,” he said in his post.
