Zayn Malik took a moment to remember his late friend, Liam Payne, in the singer’s hometown of Wolverhampton, England.
As a part of his Stairway to the Sky tour, the musician stopped in the English city and spoke to the audience about Payne, who died on Oct. 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
“So, I’ve been doing something at the end of the show every night, and it’s being dedicated to my brother Liam Payne. Rest in peace. I hope you’re seeing this in your hometown tonight, Wolverhampton, this is for you Liam,” Malik said in a fan video from the show on Friday, before performing “iT’s YoU.”
The Room Under the Stairs artist previously honored Payne in his Leeds show earlier in the week when he displayed the words, “Liam Payne, 1993-2024. Love you bro,” on the stage with a heart.
Prior to the shows in England, Malik had postponed the U.S. leg of the tour because of the loss of his friend and fellow former One Direction member.
“Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour,” he wrote on his Instagram Story three days after Payne’s death. “The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days. Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates, love you all and thank you for your understanding.”
He also paid tribute to the singer in a lengthy post shared the day after he died, noting there were so many more conversations they could have had together and that he never got to thank him for his support through “some of the most difficult times” in his life.
“When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved,” he wrote. “Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated and gave no fucks about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”
He praised his singing talents and shared that he felt he was the “most qualified” of all the boys in One Direction, adding that he “knew nothing” in comparison.
“I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly,” Malik concluded. “I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you bro.”
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