Harry Styles Performs New Song Written for Liam Payne at MSG
Harry Styles debuted an unreleased song written for his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne during a sold-out Madison Square Garden concert. He introduced it by saying he had lost a friend two years earlier, and urged the audience to look after one another, making the performance both a tribute to Payne and a personal moment about grief.
Payne died aged 31 on 16 October 2024 from injuries sustained in a fall from his hotel balcony. Styles is performing a 30-night Madison Square Garden residency as part of a 50-show tour across seven cities, supporting his fourth album, released in March. Earlier this year, he said he had struggled with public expectations about how he should grieve and that living fully was a way to honour friends who had died.
- Harry Styles debuted a song written for Liam Payne.
- He marked the second anniversary of Payne’s death at Madison Square Garden.
- Styles urged fans to look after one another.
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Harry Styles and Liam Payne first became known as members of One Direction, the British and Irish boy band formed on the television programme The X Factor in 2010. The group became one of the world’s most successful pop acts before its members began pursuing solo careers.
Payne died in October 2024, aged 31, after falling from a hotel balcony. Styles has spoken about grieving friends in public and the expectations people face over how to mourn. The song’s performance connects their shared musical history with the personal experience of loss.