Singer Zayn Malik remembered his “brother” and One Direction bandmate Liam Payne in a heart-wrenching Instagram post on Thursday,
Malik seemed shattered as he shared a tender photo of himself and Payne, whose sudden death on Wednesday at age 31 has shaken the music world.
“Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” Malik wrote alongside the photo.
The Pillowtalk singer went on to thank Payne for “supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life.”
“When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved,” he recalled.
“Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no fucks about telling people when they were wrong,” Malik wrote.
He also touched on the bandmates’ sometimes tumultuous relationship, writing, “Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”
Praising Payne’s musical prowess, the pop star wrote, “When it came to the music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional.”
“I lost a brother,” he wrote, adding, “I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are.”
The remaining members of One Direction ― Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles ― also addressed Payne’s passing in a joint statement on Thursday.
Calling themselves “completely devastated” by the news, the band wrote, “The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly.”
Payne was visiting Buenos Aires, Argentina, when he fell off a hotel balcony to his death on Wednesday.