One Direction pays tribute to Liam Payne

Louis Tomlinson and One Direction's official social channels have paid tribute to Liam Payne, who died on Wednesday aged 31 after falling three floors from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

“I'm beyond devastated to write this, but yesterday I lost a brother,” Tomlinson wrote on Instagram. “Liam was someone I looked up to every day, such a positive, fun and kind soul. I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18. I was immediately amazed by his voice, but more importantly, over time I got the chance to see the kind brother I'm after had longed for all my life. Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody. We often talked about getting back in the studio together to try to recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band. And for the record, Liam was, in my opinion, the most important part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us, Liam.”

Tomlinson also addressed a statement to Payne, saying: “A message to you Liam if you're listening,
I am very lucky to have had you in my life, but the thought of saying goodbye is really hard for me. I'm so grateful that we've become even closer, because the band talking on the phone for hours and reminiscing about all the thousands of wonderful memories we had together is a luxury I thought I would have for a lifetime have with you. I would have loved to share the stage with you again, but it wasn't to be. I want you to know that if Bear ever needs me, I will be the uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories about how great his father was. I wish I had the opportunity to say goodbye and tell you once again how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you, buddy. Sleep well

The One Direction account on Instagram shared its own statement, attributing it to the band members.

“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s death,” they wrote. “As time goes on and everyone is able, 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 very much. The memories we shared with him will be remembered forever. At the moment our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him by our side. We will miss him terribly. We love you, Liam.”

One Direction was formed in 2010 after each member competed as solo acts on the British singing competition series The X Factor. The British boy band came third on the show and were subsequently signed by Simon Cowell's Syco Entertainment. Payne and the other members of 1D were introduced to the public through video diaries published by “The

The group went on to become one of the best-selling boy bands of all time, with more than 70 million records sold worldwide and top hits such as “What Makes You Beautiful,” “Night Changes” and “Story of My Life.” ” Concert films and well-attended tours followed.

In 2017, Payne debuted as a solo singer with “Strip That Down,” after One Direction announced an indefinite hiatus the year before and the other members ventured out on their own careers. In 2019 he released his debut album “LP1” in collaboration with J Balvin, Quavo and producer Zedd. He released his latest hit single “Teardrops” earlier this year.