Tributes continue to flow in for Liam Payne, following the tragic news of the One Direction star’s untimely death after falling from a balcony in Argentina this week.
The musician is said to have fallen from the third floor of the Casa Sur hotel in Buenos Aires, suffering serious injuries before his body was found by authorities in the hotel’s courtyard.
According to reports, police were dispatched to the hotel in response to a call made by staff, who were concerned about a man acting aggressively and potentially under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
Louis Tomlinson joins a chorus of musicians and celebrities who have reacted to the news, sharing a heartfelt social media tribute to his former One Direction bandmate. Tomlinson, who joined One Direction alongside Payne and the remaining members in the 2010 season of X Factor, said he was “beyond devastated” to be writing the message, and described Payne as “a brother.”
“Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul,” the singer wrote. Tomlinson went on to recall the first time he and Payne met, saying he was “instantly amazed by his voice” and that, after continuing to spend time together, became “the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.”
Tomlinson praised Payne’s songwriting ability and ear for melodies, and heartbreakingly recalled how the pair would “often [speak] of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band.”
Later, Tomlinson described his former bandmate as “the most vital part of One Direction,” citing Payne’s songwriting, experience from a young age, perfect pitch and stage presence.
Tomlinson said he has been “really struggling with the idea of saying goodbye,” adding that if Payne’s son, Bear, ever needs him, he is ready to “be the Uncle he needs in his life and tell him stories of how amazing his dad was.”
Elsewhere, Tomlinson reflected on the “the thousands of amazing memories” he and Payne shared together, and regretted not getting 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,” the singer concluded, “sleep well.” Tomlinson’s tribute joins that also given by his fellow One Direction bandmate Zayn Malik, who wrote on social media that he will “cherish the memories” made with Payne and is “beyond devastated by his passing.”
While they have yet to share individual statements, remaining bandmates Harry Styles and Niall Horan were included in a joint tribute delivered by One Direction. That statement likewise reflected on Payne’s influence on the band, and said it will “take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother.”
Beyond One Direction, Payne has been commemorated by fellow musicians like Zedd, Charlie Puth, Ty Dolla $ign and Jedward, the latter of whom competed on X Factor a year before Payne joined the show.
Outside of the music world, notable names like Paris Hilton, James Corden, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Styles’ mother Anne Twist, were among those to pay tribute to Payne, alongside a chorus of fans who have been following Payne’s music career since he was a teenager.