By Hanna Wilson
On October 16, Liam Payne, who some would call the driving force behind one of the most definitive boy bands of the 2010s, One Direction, tragically passed away at the age of 31. Payne died after falling from his balcony on the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aries, just after flying to Argentina to informally reunite with his former bandmate, Niall Horan. The release of Payne’s autopsy revealed that he had died of multiple trauma, which resulted in internal and external bleeding in the skull, chest, and abdomen. Along with his sustained injuries, it was also discovered that Payne was under the influence of cocaine, benzodiazepine, and pink cocaine— a combination of methamphetamine, ketamine and MDMA. The prosecutor’s office, fortunately, discovered no signs of anyone else being involved in Payne’s death but consequently supports that he may have been in a state of partial or complete unconsciousness during the fall.
His sudden death shocked millions, resulting in an outpour of sentimental grief from a multitude of music artists, other celebrities, friends, family, and fans. I first heard the news when my best friend from home called me saying “Check your texts!” I opened my phone excitedly, but my expression immediately faded as I read the sentence, “Liam Payne is dead.”
The amount of musician deaths that have occurred in the past few years is catastrophic and makes you question how the music and media industries can expose artists to the substances that take their lives. I can vividly remember when Mark Lanegan, a superb artist from the 90s, passed away in February of 2022, and Taylor Hawkins, the former drummer of the Foo Fighters, died just a month later. To put it lightly, I was completely heartbroken, as these two outstanding musicians had such an impact on me throughout high school. The death of Liam Payne, however, hurt so much more because it simultaneously broke the heart of the 10-year-old version of me that still occupies my entire being. Seeing the figures that we looked up to throughout our childhood—the strangers that made us fall in love with music —pass away so suddenly was something I don’t think I was prepared for. I thought I’d be at least 50 and far more mentally stable when I’d have to begin grieving the loss of my favourite childhood musicians. But this is simply the kind of unfortunate heartbreak that comes with an unpredictable industry.
Throughout this tragic time, a tremendous amount of beautiful statements, messages, and memories have been shared on social media to celebrate the life of Liam Payne. However, navigating, mourning and accepting this loss has been such a difficult process for so many people and our collective One Direction-loving souls, especially when considering the recent abuse allegations against Liam that emerged in the last few months of his short-lived life. I haven’t been following much of the One Direction members’ solo careers in more recent years, so this was definitely news to me, but I think it’s most important to recognize Payne’s loved ones in this period of heartbreak.
Cheryl Cole, member of Girls Aloud and co-parent of Liam’s son, caught the attention of the internet by emphasizing that “Liam was not only a pop star and celebrity, he was a son, a brother, an uncle, a dear friend and a father to our 7-year-old son. A son that now has to face the reality of never seeing his father again.” She then rightfully expressed her distraught towards the “abhorrent reports and media exploitation” which could potentially be accessed by their son in future years to come.
A similar statement shared by Toni Cornell—daughter of the late 90s grunge singer Chris Cornell— reflects on the time she stumbled on traumatizing TMZ-published photographs of her own father’s suicide. She naturally voiced concern for the fact that TMZ continues to operate in the same infamous manner that neglects all aspects of human decency during times of mourning. More importantly, she worries that Payne’s son will stumble upon the graphic images of his father, which have since been removed but will continue to linger due to the everlasting impacts of the internet.
Even though the media might always try to profit off of the lost lives of human beings, fans of these musicians will continue to support one another. Throughout the wake of Payne’s death, beautiful memorials began to appear all over the world, ultimately helping fans to gather and grieve in comfortable environments. To show Payne’s family and loved ones that he was such a vibrant character in many fans’ childhoods, they decorated the memorials with bouquets and pictures that captured some of Liam’s happiest memories, also giving fans a slight bit of closure to thank this lost pop-idol for his influence on the music industry.