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As the last rays of sunlight illuminated the facade of CasaSur Palermo Hotel on Wednesday night, the first fans began to arrive. News spread like wildfire on social media: Liam Payne, former member of the boy band One Direction, had died after falling from a third-floor hotel room. The shock was immediate, and within hours, dozens of followers gathered at the makeshift shrine in front of the place where the 31-year-old British singer met his tragic end. Buenos Aires, the city that embraced him in life, was now bidding him farewell in death.

Payne, one of the voices that defined a generation of pop music, had arrived in Argentina to attend former bandmate Niall Horan‘s concert at the Movistar Arena, amid a resurgence of fame following his recent solo musical projects. However, no one could have imagined that this trip would become his final goodbye. The fateful fall from his hotel room left his followers engulfed in collective grief, which most are trying to process from the sidewalk on Costa Rica Street, where candles, flowers and letters have filled the scene.

Trending on Billboard

A vigil that never ends

“I can’t process it; I’m still in shock. He was a fundamental part of my childhood, he meant everything to me,” says 22-year-old Martina, one of the first fans to arrive at the makeshift shrine. With a trembling voice, she recalls the moment she first heard the British band: “I was in the car with my dad when I heard ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ for the first time, and from that day, I never let them go. From that moment on, their music became an essential part of my life. Every song accompanied me through different stages, from happy moments to the hardest times. It was as if they always had the exact words for what I was experiencing,” she continued. “One Direction was much more than a band for me; they were my refuge.”

The area in front of the hotel transformed into a space of catharsis for Payne’s followers. The pain is palpable, but so is the sense of camaraderie. Twenty-five-year-old Felicitas, wearing a Harry Styles shirt, arrived with flowers to pay tribute: “When I found out, I couldn’t process it. I felt like the world stopped for a moment. Everything he had meant to me crumbled in seconds. The idea that someone so present in my life was no longer here was devastating,” she says, tears streaming down her face. Like her, dozens of young fans gathered to remember the singer’s life, singing his songs and sharing anecdotes that connect them to the British artist.

Billboard Argentina

The Impact of His Death

Payne’s sudden death shook the entertainment world, especially among One Direction fans who had grown up listening to their songs. The group, formed on The X Factor in the U.K. in 2010, quickly became a global phenomenon. Their music became the soundtrack to the adolescence of millions of young people worldwide. According to Spotify, One Direction has more than 40 million monthly listeners on the platform, even years after their breakup. Songs like “What Makes You Beautiful” and “Story of My Life” continue to be anthems defining a generation.

Twenty-three-year-old Ludmilla explains it succinctly: “Every song was part of our story, a reflection of what we were living. They helped us feel understood, find comfort, and above all, connect with each other. They were not just a band; they were the thread that united us and accompanied us as we grew and discovered the world.”

The latest police report revealed disturbing details about the state of the room where Payne died. According to sources, pills, a nearly empty whiskey bottle, and other substances suggesting possible drug abuse were found. Investigations are ongoing, but these details have added another layer of tragedy to an already painful loss. The exact circumstances of his fall remain a subject of debate, but for the fans gathered at the shrine, the details matter less than the void he left behind.

The vigil on Costa Rica Street continues. Television channels broadcast live, but for the young women who remain there, the focus is on remembering the good times and bidding farewell to their idol with the music that united them. “I don’t know how I’m going to get through this,” says 25-year-old Candela, a Chilean fan living in Buenos Aires. With a notebook in hand, she wrote a letter now resting at the makeshift altar alongside flowers and photos. As the candles burn low and the noise of the city begins to envelop the scene once again, the words of one fan resonate in the air: “With his absence, he took a part of our existence.”

Billboard Argentina

It’s Valentino Merlo and The La Planta’s winning week on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as the Argentianians first team-up “Hoy” dominates for an 11th consecutive week (list dated Sept. 14).
With the new week at No. 1, “Hoy” breaks away from a tie with “Una Foto (Remix)” by the all-star team comprising Mesita, Nicki Nicole, Tiago PZK, and Emilia, for the longest-leading song in 2024. Plus, it becomes the seventh-longest run at No. 1 on the almost six-year chart.

Here’s the recap of those longest-leading songs on Billboard Argentina Hot 100 dating back to its 2018 launch:

Trending on Billboard

Peak Date, Song, Artist, Weeks at No. 1Jan. 11, 2020, “Tusa,” Karol G & Nicki Minaj, 25July 31, 2021, “Entre Nosotros,” Tiago PZK, LIT killa, Nicki Nicole & Maria Becerra, 16Sept. 10, 2022, “La Bachata,” Manuel Turizo, 15May 25, 2019, “Otro Trago,” Sech, Darell, Nicky Jam, Ozuna & Anuel AA, 13Aug. 29, 2020, “Hawai,” Maluma & The Weeknd, 12Jan. 12, 2019, “Calma (Alicia Remix),” Pedro Capo & Farruko, 12July 6, “Hoy,” Valentino Merlo & The La Planta, 10

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Luck Ra and Nicki Nicole add a new top 10 to their chart career with “Doctor,” which arrives at No. 8 as the week’s Hot Shot Debut. While Luck Ra scores his seventh top 10, Nicki Nicole banks her 11th, tying with Karol G for the fourth-most among women. With 11 top 10s each, both trail Maria Becerra, who continues to lead with 28 top 10s, and Emilia and Tini, both with 18 top 10s.

Luck Ra also crosses off a new achievement, as “Hola Perdida (Remix)” with Khea, takes home the Greatest Gainer award, as the song flies from No. 92 to No.19.

Spanish artist Ana Mena earns her first entry with the Emilia collab, “Carita Triste” at No. 26. Meanwhile, Maisak’s “Se Me Olvida,” featuring Feid, debuts at No.45.

Below the top 50, seven other songs make its first chart appearance, starting with Salastkbron and Omar Varela’s “Dímelo Mami” at No. 56.

Elsewhere, Vilma Palma makes its maiden debut thanks to “Auto Rojo,” with Marama, at No. 75. Omar Courtz, De La Rose and Haze follow with “Kyoto” at No. 77, Q’ Lokura and La K’onga’s “La Última Granada” at No. 85, Lisas’ “New Woman,” featuring Rosalia, at No. 88, Ciro’s “Me Gusta” at No. 89, FloyyMenor’s “Tu Ta Rika” at No. 90, while Lira Música and Kingto’s “El Pronóstico” at No. 94.

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Valentino Merlo and The Planta hold strong atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated July 29) as “Hoy,” their first collaboration, leads for a fourth week. It’s the third song to rule the 100-deep tally for at least four weeks or more in 2024. It trails Mesita, Nicki NIcole, Tiago PZK and Emilia’s “Una […]

Luck Ra and Khea’s “Hola Perdida” holds steady at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated March 16) for a third week. It’s the longest-leading song for Luck Ra who last ruled the 100-deep tally through “Además De Mi (Remix)” for one week in 2021. FloyyMenor and Cris MJ’s “Gata Only” climbs […]

Mesita, Nicki Nicole, Emilia and Tiago PZK‘s “Una Foto” adds a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as the song leads the Feb. 24-dated list. Luck Ra and Khea’s “Hola Perdida” holds strong at No. 2 for a fifth week. Trap singer Luck Ra also places two other songs […]

Mesita, Nicki Nicole, Emilia and Tiago PZK‘s “Una Foto” adds a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart as the team-up rules the Feb. 10-dated list. It’s the longest reign for Nicki Nicole since “Entre Nosotros,” also with Tiago PZK, LIT Killah and Maria Becerra, ruled for 16 weeks between […]

Luck Ra and BM’s “La Morocha” rebounds to No. 1, from No. 2, on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Jan. 6). The collab adds an eighth week at the apex, after it led the tally for seven weeks, a tie for the longest-leading song, along with four other titles, in 2023.  As “La […]

Emilia and TINI’s “La_Original.Mp3” holds steady atop the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart for a fourth week at No. 1 on the chart dated Dec. 9. The song enters a tie with Bizarrap and Shakira’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 53” for the eighth-most weeks in charge in 2023. Singer-songwriter Abel Pintos nabs his first top […]

Luck Ra’s “La Morocha” featuring BM rebounds 2-1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Oct. 28) for a fifth week of domination. The song unseats Bizarrap and Milo J’s “Bzrp Music Sessions, Vol. 57” from the lead after one week in charge. With the move, “La Morocha” ties with Ke Personajes, Big One […]

Luck Ra and BM’s “La Morocha” adds a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100 chart (dated Sept. 30). The song bests Luck Ra’s previous one-week champ, “Ya No Vuelvas,” featuring La K’onga and Ke Personajes, in February. LIT Killah, Tiago Pzk, Maria Becerra, Duki, Emilia, Rusherking, Big One and Fmk’s […]