One Direction fans remember Liam Payne

Outside the CasaSur Palmero Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, a makeshift memorial filled with letters, flowers and candles has been growing since the untimely death of Liam Payne, who rose to fame as a member of the British boy band One Direction in 2010. On Wednesday night , David Kraventz, Secretary of Security of Buenos Aires, confirmed Rolling Stone that the 31-year-old died after a fall from the hotel balcony. Since the news broke, One Direction fans across generations and continents have mourned Payne – and remembered what their favorite boy band stood for.

Born in Wolverhampton, England on August 29, 1993, Payne’s journey into the music industry began with reality TV The X Factor. After auditioning for the show in 2008, the 14-year-old sang Frank Sinatra’s “Fly Me to the Moon” but was cut from the show before going far. He auditioned again two years later with a performance of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Cry Me a River.” Later in the show, he was paired with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik – the group that would become One Direction.

While the boy band finished in third place The X Factor competition, they became one of the most successful boy bands in music history. 1D released four studio albums together and one additional album following Malik’s departure in 2015, before going on an indefinite hiatus. In his solo career, Payne released his first album, LP1, in 2019 and has collaborated with artists including Rita Ora, ‘NSync’s JC Chasez, French Montana, and J Balvin. His single “Strip That Down” reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. Just two weeks before his death, Payne made headlines when he attended Horan’s concert at Buenos Aires’ Movistar Arena.

During One Direction’s hiatus, Payne became extremely vocal about his issues with becoming famous at a young age, including his substance abuse issues and a 100-day rehab stay in 2023. “I was in a really bad shape until that point, and I was just happy more than anything when I got to end life and work,” Payne said in a YouTube video announcing his return. “I definitely don’t need those things anymore. The party is over.

While police investigate Payne’s death, fans are still reeling from the news. Maria Sherman, music reporter for Associated Press and author of Larger Than Life: A History of Boy Bands From NKOTB to BTSaccount Rolling Stone that while people have always reacted strongly when stars and celebrities died young, there is a particular tendency for Internet fans to praise artists who grew up or got their start on social media platforms. “One Direction became successful because they allowed fans to be part of their story,” she says. “Fans were watching, commenting and interacting with the group and each other on social media during the X Factor days, (his) career and even his hiatus. Many One Direction fans are reconnecting with their online community and checking in on each other, which I think speaks to the intensity and loving nature of the fanbase that (One Direction) has been able to heal in its time. This is very powerful.”

In the hours after Payne’s death was confirmed, hundreds of Argentine fans gathered at the singer’s hotel to increase their vigil – singing One Direction hits and crying. “As soon as I found out, I dropped everything and came running, hoping it was just fake news, that it wasn’t real. But when I saw them taking him away, my heart broke,” said Ariana, a fan from the city of Lanús. Rolling StoneArgentina. “I couldn’t take it anymore, I collapsed. All these hopes have completely disappeared.”

Micaela, another longtime fan, arrived at the vigil with an original One Direction flag from the group’s 2014 tour. “He really had a beautiful role in the band. They all loved each other. They are brothers, literally. And they still are, even though Liam is no longer in this world,” she said. “I wanted to see the five of them together once again. Unfortunately, now we will see them, but at the funeral. It’s horrible, really horrible.”

Much of the excitement and heartbreak revolves around the central role One Direction played in many fans’ adolescence. “I was about 12 years old when I first heard them, which is the peak age of boy band consumption. It was so special,” says Izzy Deveaux, 25, an Arizona native. Rolling Stone through tears. Deveaux was an active member of the fandom on social media and continued to support the careers of many of the members. “It felt like they loved us. And as I’ve grown up, continuing to listen to their music has been a constant reminder of all those good times. I’ve made some of my best friends and most fun memories because of this band. I am very sad.”

Alison H., a 26-year-old Canadian, has been a fan of One Direction for over a decade. She began listening to the group when their first album was released in 2012, and remained a fan throughout high school, even seeing them in concert around her 16th birthday. “It still doesn’t feel very real. Obviously I don’t know Liam, but it’s shocking to think about the death of a familiar face from my childhood,” she says. “Grief is kind of strange. There’s a quality to this that isn’t necessarily about Liam as a person, but more about what he represented to so many of us growing up. He represents a part of the youth that is dying.”

For 18-year-old Rhode Island fan Isabella Mazzone, her first memory of One Direction was watching the boys on X Factor when she was just four years old. She remembers spending time with her best friends performing their own versions of One Direction shows – which makes Payne’s death difficult for her. “It wasn’t just his vibrant personality that defined Liam, but his generous heart and incredible generosity,” says Mazzone. “It’s hard to believe Liam is gone. But the thing is, I don’t think it can really go away. A piece of him will forever live in the lives of every person he touched with his profound talent, joy, and most importantly, kindness.”

As a 19-year-old German woman who discovered the group during the pandemic, Leni-Sophia Kajczyk knows she adopted One Direction later than most. But after listening to the songs and watching videos of the boys’ relationship, she says she was captivated and soon created several fan accounts on Twitter and TikTok. “None of my friends were listening to One Direction. There was no one to talk to about it,” she says. “So I decided to make a new Tiktok account and it turned into an entire fan page. I gained so many new friends from this. And even friends who are not fans, like friends in my real life, called me, sent me messages. ‘Did you hear the news? How are you doing? Everything is fine? And then my internet friends, my One Direction friends, we started calling each other, texting each other in group chats. I was crying the whole time. I stayed up until 4am. And today was such a strange feeling. I woke up and realized it wasn’t just a nightmare. This is real life.

The news of Payne’s death was also clouded by recent allegations made by the singer’s ex-fiancée, Maya Henry. Since their split in 2022, Henry has vaguely alluded, without mentioning Payne by name, that their relationship was troubled and claimed that Payne harassed her and continued to contact her after they split. Since Payne’s death, fans have struggled to figure out how to praise the singer and acknowledge the complexity of the situation.

Ghia Hong, a 28-year-old from the Philippines, has been posting TikToks encouraging casual viewers not to match fans’ pain for their support of Payne’s alleged actions. “This is hard to process,” she says. “If I could sum it up in one word, it would probably be: confusing.”

Laura Pinto, a 21-year-old Belgian, has been open about letting One Direction fans and supporters discover what they’re feeling. “I haven’t really been a fan of (Payne) in (the last few years), but he’s still a part of my youth and is someone I grew up loving, admiring and finding comfort in,” she says. “It’s conflicting. I had a difficult adolescence (years) and I remember the sense of security and belonging I felt with One Direction. Knowing that a part of this is no longer here? It’s bringing up a lot of emotions.”

Tributes and praise for Payne continued to pour in. On Thursday morning, Payne’s family released a statement asking the public for privacy. “We are heartbroken,” they wrote, “Liam will forever live in our hearts and we will remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul.” And in Buenos Aires and around the world, fans continue to remember Payne. Payne’s bandmates also released a joint statement on Thursday. “We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. Over time, and when everyone can, 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 deeply,” Niall, Harry and Zayn wrote. “The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him very much. We love you, Liam.”