Harry Styles paid tribute to his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne with a new song during his concert at Madison Square Garden — two years after Payne’s tragic death.
During Friday night’s concert, part of his 30-night residency in New York City, Styles told the crowd he had written the song, titled “What Is Enough,” following Payne’s death in 2024, according to a video shared on X.
“I feel incredibly lucky to get to play these shows here in New York, and this building means a lot to me, as I said. And I feel incredibly proud when I get to look up there and see my name up there,” Styles, 32, said, before introducing the never-before-heard track.
The “As It Was” singer went on to reflect on the loss of his former bandmate, telling the audience, “There are so many people in my life, friends and people [who] I’ve worked with, that I wouldn’t have been able to do this without.”
“And two years ago today, I lost one of those friends.”
Payne died at age 31 on Oct. 16, 2024, after falling from the third floor of his hotel room in Argentina, suffering “extremely serious injuries,” including internal and external bleeding.
“I’m sure a lot of you have been through similar things,” Styles continued. “I hope you haven’t, but really, it’s just about looking after each other.”
The Grammy winner then pointed to the banner hanging inside MSG commemorating his previous 15 consecutive nights at the venue.
“There’s so many more people behind it, so many people [who] have touched my life in such special ways. I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said, before performing the song he “wrote for [his] friend.”
Shortly after Payne’s death, Styles and his former bandmates, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan, paid tribute to their late friend in a rare joint statement before coming together for the first time in nearly nine years at his funeral in the UK.
“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing,” the statement read. “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,” it continued. “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.”
Styles also shared an individual statement on Instagram following Payne’s death, saying he was “truly devastated” by the loss of his former bandmate.
“His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it,” he wrote. “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,” Styles added, before expressing his heartbreak for Payne’s family, his son, Bear, and “all those around the world who knew and loved him as I did.”
More recently, Styles opened up about the “difficult” loss of Payne during an interview with Apple Music.
“I think there was a period when he passed away where I really struggled with kind of, like, acknowledging how strange it is to have people kind of, like, part of your grief in a way,” he said.
“It’s so difficult to lose a friend. It’s difficult to lose any friend, but it’s so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways,” Styles added. “It’s like, I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great.”
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