Shawn Mendes pays tribute to Liam Payne during concert: "The world is crying for you, brother"

On Friday, Shawn Mendes paused his For Friends and Family Only concert in Brooklyn to honor the late One Direction member with some heartfelt words and a special performance.

Following Liam Payne’s passing at the age of 31 this week, many in the music industry are continuing to share tributes both online and onstage.
 

“When I heard the news about Liam, I felt completely devastated,” said Mendes in a video from the show. “I got to meet Liam a couple times, and he was a beautiful soul. His eyes gleamed, there was beauty shining through his eyes.”

Mendes continued, “It’s about grieving those we miss with tears, and it’s also about celebrating them, who they were and what they’ve left in this world. I just want to take a second to send so much love to him, wherever he is up there. We love you, and the world is crying for you, brother. And we’re all praying for your son and your family. We miss you, man.”

“So, this one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us,” said Mendes before performing his new track Heart of Gold from his upcoming fifth studio album Shawn, which will be released on Nov. 15.

Payne passed away at 31 on Wednesday after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. A preliminary autopsy report listed his cause of death as "multiple trauma" and "internal and external hemorrhage."

La Nación reported that before the incident, staff at Hotel Casa Sur called police to report “an aggressive man that could’ve been under the influence of drugs or alcohol.”

Born on Aug. 29, 1993, in Wolverhampton, England, Payne competed on The X Factor in 2010, where he formed One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik. The group went on to release five albums and became a global sensation, winning seven Brit Awards and selling more than 70 million albums worldwide.

After One Direction went on hiatus, Payne released his debut solo album LP1 in 2019.