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.
According to a video shared on
“I feel incredibly lucky to be able to play these shows here in New York, and like I said, this building means a lot to me. And when I look up there and see my name on there, I feel incredibly proud,” Styles, 32, said before introducing the never-before-heard track.
The “As It Was” singer continued to reflect on the loss of her former bandmate, telling the audience: “There are so many people in my life, my friends and people [who] “I worked in a way that I couldn’t have done without them.”
“And two years ago today I lost one of those friends.”
Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31, after falling from the third floor of his hotel room in Argentina, suffering “extremely serious injuries” including internal and external bleeding.
“I’m sure many of you have experienced similar things,” Styles continued. “I hope you haven’t, but it’s really just about looking out for each other.”
The Grammy winner then pointed to a banner hanging inside MSG, commemorating his previous 15 nights at the venue.
“There are a lot more people behind it, a lot of people [who] He touched my life in very special ways. “I wouldn’t be here without them,” he said, before performing “the song he wrote for.” [his] My 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 gathering at his funeral in the United Kingdom for the first time in nearly nine years.
“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s death,” the statement said. “Over time, and when everyone can, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to mourn and process the loss of our beloved brother.
“The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever,” he continued. “For now, our thoughts are with his family, friends and fans who loved him. We will miss him so much. We love you, Liam.”
Styles also released a personal statement on Instagram following Payne’s death, saying he was “truly devastated” by the loss of his former bandmate.
“His greatest pleasure was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be with him while he did it,” she wrote. “Liam lived with an open heart. He had an infectious vitality. He was warm, supportive and incredibly loving.
“The years we spent together will forever be among the most precious of my life. I will always miss him my dear friend,” Styles added, before expressing his sadness for Payne’s family, his son Bear and “everyone around the world who knew and loved him as I did.”
Recently, Styles opened up about the “difficult” loss of Payne in an interview with Apple Music.
“I think there was a period when he passed away, where I really struggled with accepting how weird it is that people are, in a way, a part of your pain,” she said.
“It’s so hard to lose a friend. It’s so hard to lose any friend, but it’s so hard to lose a friend who is like you in so many ways,” Styles added. “It was like I saw someone with a good heart who just wanted to be great.”