After being a member of the boy band One Direction, the singer shot to prominence around the world. One Direction went on an indefinite break in 2016.
Payne has a fruitful solo career after departing the top-charting boy trio, selling more than 18 million singles in less than three years and amassing more than 3.9 billion career streams during that time.
‘Strip That Down,’ his most famous song, peaked at number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States.
The pop star welcomed a son, Bear Grey Payne, with ex-girlfriend and former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Tweedy in 2017.
The terrible news of Payne’s death has shocked fans all across the world.
Fans have paid tribute to the singer on social media after hearing of his passing.
“He helped shape a new generation of music and was part of one of the biggest bands in musical history. His influence has reached all ends of the globe,” one fan writes. “Rest in peace to a real legend.”
Another adds: “I’m heartbroken to hear about Liam Payne’s tragic passing. Such a young talent gone too soon – his music will be deeply missed.”
A third person says: “Liam’s passing is a great loss. He left an indelible mark on so many lives, and I’m thinking of all who are mourning today. May his memory be a source of comfort.”
“There’s been so many young lives lost lately, but this news really shook me. Especially when you’ve witnessed someone grow from strength to strength at a young age,” comments someone else. “This really puts into perspective how short life can be at any moment when you least expect it.”
The One Direction star died in Argentina after falling from his hotel balcony on Wednesday, October 16.
In a statement to AP News, Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said police were dispatched to the site in response to an emergency call about a ‘aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.’
The singer’s fall reportedly resulted in ‘extremely serious injuries.’
The chief of the state’s emergency medical system, Alberto Crescenti, has stated that an autopsy would be conducted by the authorities as they investigate Payne’s death.
Whether the fall was deliberate or unintentional is still up in the air.
Niall Horan, Payne’s former bandmate, was performing in Argentina, so Payne went to see him.
The tragic news became even more devastating as the singer’s last social media posts started making the rounds online.
The last Snapchat post that Payne made before his untimely demise showed him and his Texan model girlfriend Kate Cassidy standing joyfully in front of a mirror, as reported by MailOnline.
According to The Sun, footage of him eating breakfast with Cassidy was also uploaded within an hour of local news revealing his passing.
The footage shows Payne saying: “This is the breakfast table, just enjoying breakfast and coffee even though it’s 1 p.m.”
Cassidy can be heard in the background joking the pair are ‘losers’ for laying in so late.
Payne adds: “Today, we ride. I think I’m going to be playing polo again, which is going to put me out of action for about six weeks.
“Honestly, polo, out of everything I’ve ever done sports-wise, not that I’m taking up polo professionally, by the way, I’m just like, I had a go for some fun.
“It’s so hard to do, number one. Number two, my back and my neck from swinging that hammer around, or mallet, I think it’s called, if you’re in the know, it’s polo language.”
Payne continues the video by filming his fiancée and dog as they watch Jimmy Carr on TV and then asks viewers to caption the clip.
It seems like Payne wasn’t uploading the films live; on October 14, Cassidy allegedly returned to Florida, her home state.
In a vlog, the model told followers she ‘was so ready to leave’ and excited to be back in her own bed.
According to Page Six, the videos were taken down from Payne’s main Snap posts and put in the ‘Spotlight’ section of his account soon after the news of his death spread.