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Niall Horan joined his former One Direction brothers in paying tribute to their late bandmate and friend Liam Payne in a heartfelt personal tribute posted on Friday morning (Oct.18). After a group statement from the former 1D members and individual notes from Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson, Horan’s emotional letter touched on the universal feeling of wishing you had one more goodbye, one more hug, or just another quiet moment with the ones you love.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan wrote in an Instagram post featuring a smiling photo of the two from their One Direction days. The tribute came less than 48 hours after a preliminary autopsy report said Payne, 31, died following a fall from the third-floor balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, sustaining multiple, mortal injuries.
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“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,” Horan continued. “All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness. 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.”
Horan said he felr fortunate that he got to see Payne recently when the “Strip That Down” singer attended one of Niall’s shows at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires on Oct. 2. “I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him, I would be saying goodbye forever. It’s heartbreaking,” Horan lamented. His tribute concluded with a message of love for Payne’s family, including the late singer’s seven-year-old son, Bear.
“Love you brother,” he concluded.
Horan’s older brother, Greg, wrote that he too was “heartbroken” over the loss of Payne. “You were a top young boy to a man a son a brother you are only one of 4 lads I was happy enough to take my place in nialls life as a brother you will be forever missed,” he wrote.
In an earlier solo message, Styles said he was “truly devastated” by the loss of his friend, sharing that Payne’s “greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.”
Tomlinson lamented the loss of his “brother,” saying, “Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.” Zayn’s message nodded to the times the two “butted heads,” but focused on the kindness Payne showed him during dark days. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life,” he said. “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 I was loved.”
In addition to their own posts, 1D also issued a joint statement on Thursday (Oct. 17), writing that, “the memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Local authorities have said that believe Payne was not sober at the time of his death, reporting that they found substances that appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks in his room. In the moments leading up to the star’s death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room”; by the time police arrived on scene, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died due to his injuries.
At press time there was no information on funeral arrangements for Payne.
See Horan’s tribute below.
He’s back: Sam Fender has announced a string of arena shows in the U.K. and Ireland for later this year. The Geordie musician has been working on his third album and shared details of his first full U.K. tour since 2022.
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Fender’s dates will kick off in Ireland at the 3Arena in Dublin on December 2, then head to Leeds, Manchester, London, Birmingham, Glasgow and conclude in his hometown Newcastle on December 20. See the full dates below.
He’s also announced a string of shows throughout mainland Europe in Paris, Berlin, Amsterdam and more for next March. Tickets for all shows go on sale at 10 a.m. on October 25 via Fender’s official website.
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£1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the Music Venues Trust, and follows Coldplay’s recent commitment to donate 10% of their upcoming tour revenue to the grassroots music scene via the Music Venues Trust.
Fender released his most recent album, Seventeen Going Under, in 2021 which topped the U.K.’s Official Album Charts upon release. The ensuing year saw him play several sold-out tours and included huge shows at London’s 40,000-capacity Finsbury Park and at St. James’ Park in Newcastle, home of his beloved soccer team Newcastle United. Earlier this year he collaborated with Noah Kahan on a new version of Kahan’s single “Homesick.”
Fender snagged huge slots across the globe on his last tour, headlining Reading & Leeds Festival in England, as well as appearing internationally at Lollapalooza in Chicago and Splendour In the Grass in Australia. In addition, over the summer he played a brace of U.K. gigs in Plymouth and at Boardmasters Festival in Cornwall.
In recent weeks he has shared teasers of the live dates and his upcoming record and he’s previously performed two unreleased song during shows, “People Watching” and “Nostalgia’s Lie.”
Sam Fender European tour 2024/25 dates:
December 2 – 3Arena, DublinDecember 4 – First Direct Arena, LeedsDecember 6 – Co-Op Live, ManchesterDecember 10 – The O2, LondonDecember 13 – Utilita Arena, BirminghamDecember 16 – Obo Hydro, GlasgowDecember 20 – Utilita Arena, NewcastleMarch 4 – Olympia, ParisMarch 5 – 013 Poppodium, TilburgMarch 8 – Halle 622, ZurichMarch 10 – Palladium, CologneMarch 12 – Zenith, MunichMarch 13 – ChorusLife Arena, BergamoMarch 16 – Uber Eats Music Hall, BerlinMarch 18 – Afas Live, AmsterdamMarch 19 – Forest National, Brussels
Dua Lipa performed a one-off show at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Thursday night (Oct 17).
The concert was taped for an upcoming TV special and included a 53-piece orchestra, bringing new shades to her most recent album, Radical Optimism, which landed at No.2 on the Billboard 200 upon release in May.
Elton John — who Dua collaborated with on the 2021 smash “Cold Heart” — also joined the singer during the encore for a live performance of the track. See a clip of the performance below.
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Arriving on stage in a red Jean Paul Gaultier dress, Lipa said that the show was “unlike anything I’ve done before”. Her seven band members were joined by 14 choristers and The Heritage Orchestra, conducted by Ben Foster. Over 500 people were involved in turning the venue into an in-the-round concert experience.
The historic Hall – which opened in 1871 – typically hosts a mixture of classical and pop concerts. Recent performers include Florence + The Machine and Sam Smith, who also both bolstered their sounds with an orchestral twist.
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The show was Lipa’s first performance in the U.K. since her well-received Glastonbury Festival headline set in June earlier this year.
The show began with several live debuts of Radical Optimism tracks, including “End of An Era” and “French Exit,” on the singer’s way to performing all 11 songs from the LP.
Speaking to the crowd, Lipa said that she’d “been thinking about this show for a very long time” and had been “taking it very seriously.” She added that the new arrangements allowed her to “go to the bare bones of the songs and helped me get closer to the music.” She also performed a cover of London neo-soul singer Cleo Sol’s “Sunshine” midway through the set.
Radical Optimism hits “Houdini” and “Training Season” were given a fresh sound with added string and horn sections. There were also renditions of Future Nostalgia songs “Don’t Start Now” and “Levitating,” both of which had considerable success on the Billboard Hot 100 upon release in 2020.
Towards the show’s climax came the special surprise duet with her collaborator John. The iconic pop legend and Lipa teamed up in 2021 for “Cold Heart,” which topped the charts across the globe, including in the U.K. The pair had previously performed the song live at John’s concert at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium in 2022.
Dua performed the majority of the set solo without her usual dancers, though the troupe joined during the encore as she gave a live debut of the Barbie soundtrack smash “Dance The Night Away.”
The show was filmed for an upcoming television special, which is set to be announced soon. Lipa continues on her Radical Optimism tour in Asia this November, and in 2025 she’ll perform two sold-out nights at London’s iconic Wembley Stadium.
Dua Lipa Royal Albert Hall setlist:
“End of an Era”“Houdini”“Levitating”“Maria”“French Exit”“Sunshine” (Cleo Sol cover)“Training Season”“These Walls”“Whatcha Doing”“Love Again”“Pretty Please”“Illusion”“Falling Forever”“Anything For Love”“Happy For You”“Cold Heart” (with Elton John)“Be The One”“Dance The Night”“Don’t Start Now”
A post-Bangles (the first time) Susanna Hoffs already had one solo album, When You’re a Boy, behind her and was starting to conceive her second when she got a call from David Baerwald, Dan Schwartz and some of the other musicians involved in Sheryl Crow’s Tuesday Night Music Club — and began a long path to The Lost Record, a collection of those songs and their subsequent recordings that comes out Oct. 18 on Baroque Folks Records.
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“They were just reaching out to me; I went to David Kitay’s studio and we kind of created our own version of something along the lines of what they had done with Tuesday Night Music Club,” Hoffs recalls for Billboard via Zoom. “It was, like, meeting together weekly. We would sit around, working on songs. There was one day when Joni Mitchell showed up; I have a recording of David Baerwald, me and Joni singing ‘Love Potion No. 9.’ She really loved that song.”
That’s not one of the 10 tracks on The Lost Record, but it would actually be another few years before Hoffs actually recorded those songs — during 1999, in the garage of her home on Blythe Avenue in west Los Angeles, where she was living with husband Jay Roach and their two young children. “Dan Schwartz reached out to me and said, ‘You want to make some music? Should we continue where we left off from the David Baerwald sessions?’” recalls Hoffs, who had reunited with the Bangles a year prior to record “Get the Girl” for Roach’s film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. She would tour with the group in 2000, but at the time of The Lost Record sessions considered herself in “a non-Bangles chapter.”
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“I told Dan, ‘Yeah, but can we do it in my garage. I have a new baby and I’m kind of staying at home right now.’ He said, ‘Yeah,’ and we had all these great people — Jim Keltner, Dan, Brian MacLeod, all these people. It was a true garage band situation, which I loved. The Bangles were formed in the garage of my childhood home, so I’ve had a lifetime of recording in garages.”
The Lost Record hardly sounds slapdash however. The songs — including the psychedelic-flavored “Under a Cloud,” which surfaced the Bangles recorded for its 2011 album Sweetheart of the Sun — is dominated by nuanced singer-songwriter fare such as “I Don’t Know Why,” “Grateful,” “November Rain,” “As It Falls Apart” and “Who Will She Be,” and orchestrated pieces like “I’ll Always Love You (The Anti-Heartbreak Song),” “I Will Take Care of You” and “Life on the Inside,” the latter a co-write with Jane Wiedlin and Charlotte Caffey of the Go-Go’s.
“I grew up in the Bangles but the Go-Go’s had come before that and they had really inspired me, the idea of an all-girl band,” Hoffs notes. “So to write with Charlotte and Jane was really special. It was just a very creative time. I was reaching out to all the people that I’d known and loved during the ’80s into the ’90s. It was like a friend group, a creative friend group.”
Lyrically, Hoffs acknowledges that The Lost Album‘s songs found her grappling with “this sort of identity crisis. I was a mom and married to a filmmaker and living this so-called grownup-life and finding myself at a crossroads, like, ‘How do I juggle all this stuff?’ and trying to figure out how to ‘Do it all.’” The deceptively uptempo “Living Alone With You” in particular was inspired by how, with Roach’s filmmaking career taking off, the couple “were like ships crossing in the night.”
“It was such a reflective time, a really emotional time,” she remembers. “I think when your emotions are right up at the surface like that it’s a great time to write songs.”
Hoffs does not remember why The Lost Record became, well lost. “I think it became a little bit fraught,” she says. “There was some discourse between some of the personalities, I think, and maybe it was because the Bangles wanted to get back together and I felt that I had to park this, somehow, for the greater good. It was so long ago. It was just, like the stars were not aligning or something, and I had to shelve it.
“But I’ve always loved these sessions. I had such a fondness for the material and for these recordings because they were so honest and sort of basic and stripped down. It was so much the spirit of creativity in that garage. I’m so glad it’s coming out, finally.”
Hoffs is hoping to play some of the songs live; she mentions the possibility of returning to playing regularly at the Largo nightclub, as she’s done in the past. She has other project in motion, too, including a Bangles documentary and second book to follow-up her 2023 novel This Bird Has Flown, which Universal has optioned for a film adaptation. And Hoffs is working on a new album of her own to follow last year’s The Deep End, which she says will combine new songs with re-recordings of Bangles favorites accompanied by New York’s YMusic string ensemble and should be out next year.
“I’m bounding around, doing music and my next book and whatever,” Hoff says. “I live for art, and art and music has always driven me. I think when I put my mind to something and have such a passion for it, I can’t stop myself. I’m so grateful I’ve had that ability in my life.”
It’s a superstar pop crossover! ROSÉ has officially launched her new solo era by teaming up with Bruno Mars on a new single called “Apt.,” which arrived on Friday (Oct. 18). Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The song arrives just a day after the duo announced it, […]
Halsey is ready to bring her brand-new music to an up-close-and-personal crowd. On Thursday (Oct. 17), the Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter announced a concert for Nov. 21 at the 1,400-capacity Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, exclusively for Wells Fargo Autograph Credit cardholders. “I’m so excited to perform new music in such an intimate venue,” Halsey said in […]
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.
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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
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Harry Styles is the latest One Direction member to share a heartbreaking message following the untimely death of Liam Payne at just 31 years old.
Alongside a photo of Payne sitting on a stage, singing to a massive arena crowd, Styles wrote via Instagram on Thursday (Oct. 17), “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.”
The message continued, “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend. My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him, as I did.”
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See Styles’ post here.
The statement comes in addition to one from Louis Tomlinson, a post from Zayn and a joint message by the surviving members of One Direction, in which they wrote, “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 memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Payne died in Buenos Aires, Argentina, at around 5:07 p.m. local time after sustaining multiple injuries from a three-floor fall, a recent preliminary autopsy confirmed. Local authorities believe he was not sober at the time and found substances that appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks in his room after they arrived at the scene. In the moments leading up to the star’s death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room”; by the time police got there, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died due to his injuries.
Zayn Malik is honoring his former One Direction bandmate and “brother,” Liam Payne, following the tragic news of his death at 31 years old.
The “Pillowtalk” singer took to Instagram on Thursday (Oct. 17) to share a photo of himself laying in Payne’s lap as the two then-teenagers take a nap. In the accompanying statement, he says he hopes Payne can “hear” him, as he’s been “talking out loud” to the late start over the past day.
“I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” he continued. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my 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 I was loved.”
He added that while they “butted heads” on occasion, he “secretly respected” his strong opinions. “Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f—s about telling people when they were wrong,” he wrote. “When it came to the music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional. I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next.”
Malik continued, “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. 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 are at peace [prayer hands emoji] And you know how loved you are.”
“Love you bro,” he ended his message, which you can read in full here.
Malik’s statement comes in addition to one from Louis Tomlinson and a joint message by the surviving members of One Direction, in which they noted that they are “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.” The group statement continued, “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 memories we shared with him will be treasured forever.”
Payne died around 5:07 p.m. local time after sustaining multiple traumas and hemorrhages from his fall, a recent preliminary autopsy confirmed. Local authorities believe he was not sober at the time and found substances that appeared to be narcotics and alcoholic drinks in his room after they arrived at the scene. In the moments leading up to the star’s death, a hotel manager called 911 to report that a guest was “overwhelmed with drugs and alcohol” and “destroying [their] entire room”; by the time police got there, Payne had already fallen from the balcony of his room and died due to his injuries.