One Direction singer Liam Payne died on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The 31-year-old dad-of-one was in the South American country after seeing his former One Direction bandmate Niall Horan in concert just days earlier. Tributes have poured in from across the world of music and showbiz, as the likes of Zayn Malik and Ed Sheeran have both expressed their grief over Payne’s loss.
In among the messages, his former bandmate and songwriting partner Louis Tomlinson has called the Strip That Down hitmaker ‘the most vital part’ of One Direction. On Instagram, Louis said: ‘I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.
’ He continued: ‘Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on.
’ Here are seven times that Payne shone through One Direction’s career. What Makes You Beautiful (2011) Thirteen years ago – after finishing third on the 2010 series of The X Factor – One Direction launched their pop career with debut single What Makes You Beautiful. The song went straight to number one in 2011 and immediately became a staple of early 2010s playlists.
The accompanying music video also summed up that era’s fashion better than any other. But of the five boys in One Direction, it was Liam Payne who fi.