New Delhi, India
Zayn Malik is remembering his late friend Liam Payne. A few days after attending the funeral of his former One Director bandmate, Malik didn't forget to remember his friends during his first performance since Payne's untimely death.
Payne died on October 12 after falling from the third floor of his hotel balcony.
Zayn Malik remembers Liam Payne
On Nov 23, Zayn performed the first show of his Stairway to the Sky Tour after Payne's death.
At the end of the O2 Academy in Leeds, England show, Malik paid a sweet tribute to his late brother. As Zayn's final track of the gig, ''Stardust'' played, a message remembering Payne appeared on the background screen.
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“Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro,” the message reads with a red heart.
It's the fact that Z had every right to not say anything about Liam. It was his special day today & we'd all respect him if he didn't say anything. But he did. He paid tribute to Liam in the most beautiful way. At the end of his first ever sold out tour. He loves u sm @zaynmalik https://t.co/iAnZ3N1V3t
— teardrops ? (@1directionilysm) November 23, 2024
This heartfelt tribute comes three days after Malik attended Payne's funeral at St. Mary’s Church in Amersham, Buckinghamshire, with his other One Direction bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan. This was the first time he was spotted with the One Direction group members since he left the band in 2015.
Several netizens have reacted to Malik's sweet gesture. Taking to X, one user wrote, ''Thank you Zayn, we are so proud of you ❤️ We love you Liam ??❤️#ZaynMalik.''
Another wrote, ''The fact Zayn left the stage before the tribute appeared on the screen only shows how MUCH it hurts and is difficult for him to go through it. And you still say they're just bandmates. Zayn, we're proud of you. Stay strong. We love you.''
The third user wrote, ''Liam loved you too and I'm sure he's so proud of you, Zayn.''
The fact Zayn left the stage before the tribute appeared on the screen only shows how MUCH it hurts and is difficult for him to go through it. And you still say they're just bandmates. Zayn, we're proud of you. Stay strong. We love you.
— maybe ❯❯❯❯❯ (@dpwvsn) November 23, 2024
After Payne's tragic death, Malik postponed the US leg of Zayn's Stairway to the Sky tour, which was set to begin in October from San Francisco. However, the tour has been rescheduled for January 2025.
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In a statement shared on his X handle, Malik wrote, “Given the heartbreaking loss I’ve experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY tour.''
Love You Bro ❤️ pic.twitter.com/shRQDW27bB
— zayn (@zaynmalik) October 17, 2024
Liam died on Oct 16 after falling from the third floor of a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was in the city to attend his former bandmate Niall Horan's concert.