Niall Horan shared a message on Instagram Friday morning about his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne, who died Oct. 16 after falling from his third-story hotel room in Argentina, according to state police. Payne was 31.
In the post, alongside a younger photo of the two, Niall said Liam’s death “just doesn’t feel real.”
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam,” the “Heaven” artist began.
“Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious,” he continued. “He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.”
Horan then recalled the memories he shared with Payne while they were in One Direction and said, “We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn’t happen often in a lifetime.”
The singer also mentioned how “fortunate” he is for the opportunity to have seen Payne recently.
“I sadly didn’t know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever,” he said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Liam attended Niall’s The Show: Live on Tour concert while in Buenos Aires, Argentina, earlier this month.
Niall’s tribute comes after One Direction released a joint statement on Liam’s passing, and Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik posted their own individual heartfelt tributes.
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