Niall Horan “feels so fortunate” that he got to spend time with Liam Payne before his sudden death.
The Irish singer has broken his silence following the death of his former One Direction bandmate in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Niall wrote on Instagram. “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 to mind through the sadness,” the singer continued. “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.”
Liam travelled to Buenos Aires to see Niall perform in the city on 2 October.
“I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently,” the Slow Hands hitmaker shared. “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking.”
Niall’s heartfelt post comes shortly after fellow One Direction stars Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles paid tribute to Liam.
The group formed on The X Factor in 2010 before going on to be one of the best-selling boy groups of all time. They went on hiatus in 2016.
Ed Sheeran also took to Instagram on Friday to remember his friend and collaborator.
“At a loss for words,” he wrote in the caption. “My thoughts are with his family and loved ones, every memory I have with him is a great one, just such a heartbreaking situation. Be kind.”
Ed and Liam worked together on a number of occasions, with the Thinking Out Loud songwriter penning four songs for One Direction, including Little Things and Moments. He also helped write Liam’s 2017 debut solo single Strip That Down.
