Zayn Malik paid special tribute to Liam Payne while performing in his late friend’s hometown of Wolverhampton, England, over the weekend. Malik took a moment out of his Stairway to the Sky tour set to dedicate the song “iT’s YoU” to 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.
The former One Direction member previously honored Payne in his Leeds show earlier in the week when he displayed the words, “Liam Payne, 1993-2024. Love you, bro,” on a screen with a heart.
The show comes just a few days after Malik, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan attended Payne’s funeral in Wolverhampton. The singer was laid to rest one month after he died of multiple traumas, internal and external bleeding, and a cranial injury as a result of his fall from the third story of the CasaSur hotel in Palermo on Oct 16. Three people — a friend of Payne, a hotel worker, and an alleged drug dealer — have been charged with supplying the singer with the drugs twice before his death.
Following Payne’s death, Tomlinson, Malik, Horan, and Styles each published individual tribute posts on social media. They also penned a joint statement that was published on One Direction’s official Instagram account. It marked the first post on the account since July 2020, as the band has been on an indefinite hiatus since 2016.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, 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 dearly,” the band wrote. “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam.”
Prior to Malik’s shows in England, he postponed the U.S. leg of the tour to mourn the loss of his friend.
“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.”
