A resurfaced letter that Liam Payne once wrote to his younger self is making headlines after the singer, who rose to fame as a founding member of boy band One Direction, died Wednesday at 31 after falling from the third story of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Footage of Payne reading the letter aloud was shared Thursday on Instagram by BBC Radio 2, whose host Scott Mills introduced the video by explaining that, in 2020, he asked his celebrity guests to “write a letter to their 10-year-old selves.”
Mills then played footage of the 2020 segment.
“Dear 10-year-old Liam,” Payne read during his socially distanced interview with Mills. “Get ready! It’s about to get a little bumpy. Cherish every moment with your loved ones right now as there’s only a few more family holidays to enjoy, life is about to turn surreal.”
The singer told his younger self that “something magical” was going to happen when he turned 14, and jokingly noted he wasn’t “talking about puberty,” but auditioning for “The X Factor” and meeting the future mother of his child. He promised 10-year-old Liam that “it’s all gonna work out.”
“You are now famous and it feels like you’ve peaked way to [sic] early you cocky little bugger but you have barely even started yet,” Payne read. “Take it down a notch and remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Let me tell you, this isn’t even base camp.”
The singer told his younger self in the letter that he’ll feel “like giving up,” but that he would meet “four other guys” and “live a life you barely imagined” after forming their band and touring the world. He also urged him to enjoy it and “stay young at heart” despite the “chaos” of fame.
“Then it will end for a time and you will be left with nothing but the steering wheel,” Payne continued. “It will feel scary, like you’re alone but you are not. You’re about to start a totally new journey with the most amazing person you’ve met so far, your son Bear.”
Payne shared 7-year-old Bear with his ex-partner, singer Cheryl Cole.
“Don’t doubt yourself at this Dad thing,” the singer wrote in his letter. “Just look at all the things you’ve learnt along the way and surely that must mean you have a lot to give. Be grateful and try to remember every day you’re doing something you love that took 10 years to build.”
He advised 10-year-old Liam to “stop with the self doubt,” and promised that he’d “be fine.”
“Give Mum, Dad and all the family a big hug from me,” he concluded.
Payne’s grieving former bandmates released a statement Thursday saying they are “completely devastated” about his death, which shocked the music community and has led to an outpouring of grief from fans the world over.