Niall Horan continues to honor his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne.
During the Tuesday, September 22, opening night of his Dinner Party Live on Tour, Horan, 33, played recorded audio of the late Payne being interviewed. “We thought something might happen but never anything like this,” the audio began right after Horan wrapped his tribute song “End of an Era” in Birmingham, England, per X fan footage.
The audio continued, “I always try to remind myself of where I’ve come from and where I’ve managed to get to in my life. It’s amazing, really.”
Payne died in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31 years old.
As the recording played, darkened stage lighting captured Horan looking out above the audience in a moment of reflection. The musician, who released his fourth solo studio album, Dinner Party, in June, held his hands on his hips as he stood solemnly before the stage lights went out altogether.
One day after news of Payne’s death made headlines, Horan and his fellow One Direction bandmates issued a group statement. “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,” the October 17, 2024, statement from Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Horan read.
The band, which formed in 2010 after meeting on Britain’s The X Factor before splitting in 2016, continued: “For now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
The following day, Horan issued his own public statement that revealed he had reunited with Payne just two weeks prior to his death. “I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” Horan’s Instagram tribute read. “It just doesn’t feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure. All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming in mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
It continued, noting that Payne had attended Horan’s Argentina concert on October 2, 2024. “I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently,” Horan shared. “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
Horan’s third single from Dinner Party, “End of an Era,” was released to honor Payne, with lyrics including, “We had it, pure magic / Remembering what it was like / Time passes so fast that / I couldn’t tell you goodbye.”
He stated via Instagram on May 19: “Julian Bunetta, John Ryan and I started the original version of this song years and years ago. We rewrote it about four times without ever feeling it was quite right. As we were working on this album, we revisited it. Some songs take a minute to get to what you’re actually trying to say. This one was one of those. I hope it means as much to you as it does to me.”
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