One Direction bids farewell to Liam in heartbreaking note

Band members mourn late friend in a joint statement

Following the demise of former One Direction member Liam Payne, the other four members of the disbanded musical group took to social media to relay their mournful thoughts to their fans. Since its last post in 2020, the official Instagram account of the band posted a note for the first time in over four years.

"We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever," the handle wrote.

"For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam," concluded the note, signed off with the names of the former members, even Zayn Malik who parted ways with the group much earlier. The four members later took to their personal Instagram handles to express their heartache to their followers in solo statements.

Louis Tomlinson penned a heartfelt letter to his "kind brother I'd longed all my life for", reminiscing the brink of his teenage years when he first met a 16-year-old Liam. "Liam was an incredible songwriter with a great sense of melody. We often spoke of getting back in the studio together to try and recreate the writing chemistry we had built up in the band," Louis shared.

Louis expressed that in his opinion, Liam was "the most vital part of One Direction". He thanked his friend for shaping the rest of the team. Addressing Liam, he further wrote, "I wish I got the chance to say goodbye and tell you one more time how much I loved you. Payno, my boy, one of my best friends, my brother, I love you mate. Sleep well."

The member to follow up with an online letter of his own was Zayn. "Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me. I can't help but think selfishly that there were so many conversations for us to have in our lives," he began.

Zayn further reminisced his youthful days, having Liam as a guiding force and someone he may have "butted heads" with yet respected all the same. "There are no words to justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are right now, you are good and are at peace, and you know how loved you are," he prayed.

Harry Styles was next in line. Although his note was shorter than the others', it was no less heartbreaking. "Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve. He had an energy for life that was infectious," part of Harry's note read. "The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend."

Harry took a moment to mention those dear to his deceased friend. "My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who knew and loved him as I did," he sorrowfully concluded.

Niall Horan, who broke his silence hours after the rest of his bandmates, brought the custom to a painful finish. "It just doesn't feel real," he admitted in the opening of his letter. "All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming to mind through the sadness."

Recalling his recent concert where Liam was in attendance, Niall said, "I feel so fortunate that I got to see him recently. I sadly didn't know that after saying goodbye and hugging him that evening, I would be saying goodbye forever. It's heartbreaking." After some soft condolences, he simply said, "Thank you for everything, Payne. Love you, brother."