Hours after the news of Liam Payne’s death reached the world, Rita Ora paid tribute to him with a touching performance in Japan.
On the night of October 16, it was made public that Liam Payne had died at the age of 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Guardian reported that the Argentinian prosecutor’s office revealed that Payne’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas as well as internal and external bleeding – his head injuries alone were severe enough to cause death.
Just hours after the news of Payne’s death broke, Ora – who collaborated with Payne in 2018 for the Fifty Shades Freed track “For You” – took to the stage in Osaka, Japan for a performance, where she honored her departed friend and collaborator.
NME reports that during the set, Ora performed “For You” as an image of her and Payne was shown on the screen behind her. Halfway through the song, Ora announced “I can’t even sing this right now – can you do it for me?” as she sat on a riser with her head in her hands, appearing to be crying. Later, she mouthed “I’m sorry” to the audience before walking offstage with her arms crossed.
After the performance, Ora took to social media to share the same photograph of herself and Payne in the studio. She wrote in his memory: “I’m devastated […] He had the kindest soul, I will never forget. I loved working with him so much – he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage. This tragic news breaks my heart. Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song For You takes on a whole new meaning for me now, R.I.P.”
Payne’s bandmates – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson – have since shared a joint statement on Payne’s death, where they expressed their devastation and that they would need time “to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.” Styles, Horan, Malik and Tomlinson have also posted separate statements to their personal social media accounts, where they reflected on their relationship with Payne.
Styles wrote, “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it.” A portion of Malik’s tribute reads, “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.”
Tomlinson shared a photo of the two on stage while performing and wrote, “I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny and kind soul.
“And for the record,” Tomlinson continued, “Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us, Liam.”
Payne’s family also issued a statement, saying “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
Many other artists have been posting their condolences to Payne and his family, like X Factor competitors Katie Waissel and Rebecca Ferguson. Like Ora, Maggie Rogers paid tribute to Payne’s memory by performing One Direction’s “Night Changes” in Boston on October 17.
Leave a Comment