Zayn Malik is paying tribute to Liam Payne.
In October, Liam died unexpectedly after falling from his hotel balcony in Argentina.
There are many questions surrounding the tragic passing of the One Direction alumnus. He had complicated relationships with his former bandmates.
But they have all come together in mourning. Now, Zayn is posting tributes to Liam as he embarks on a music tour.
Zayn Malik is honoring Liam Payne
As we reported at the time, Zayn Malik attended Liam Payne’s funeral along with other One Direction alumni.
Just a few days later, he began his solo tour – in fact his first tour.
The launch of the tour was clearly an emotional moment. Zayn will definitely pay tribute to Liam on stage.
After Zayn walked off the stage on the first stop of his tour, a tribute played on the screen.
“Liam Payne. 1993-2024. Love you brother,” the message read on Saturday, November 23.
There was a red heart with the text. And, according to what fans have been posting on Twitter and beyond, Zayn continued to post these tributes as his headlining tour continued.
The fact that Zayn would put this message at the end of every show of his to pay tribute to Liam makes me cry????#ZaynSTTTTour #STTSTour pic.twitter.com/h3nPgLQLsF
— ᯓ★ Laure • Lewis x2 Saw ????ᶻ (@zquadry28x) 24 November 2024
Why did Zayn Malik go on tour so soon?
Some people may find it curious or even insensitive for Zayn to start his tour on the same day as Liam’s funeral.
However, this is actually the opposite of what some people may think.
Zayn was originally scheduled to begin his Stairway to the Sky tour on October 23. However, Liam’s death just a week before that prompted Zayn to postpone.
“In light of the heartbreaking loss suffered this week, I have decided to postpone the US leg of the Stairway to the Sky Tour,” Zayn told Instagram at the time.
“The dates are being rescheduled for January,” he shared. “And as soon as everything is ready in the next few days, I’ll post them.”
Zain then elaborated: “Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Thank you all for your love and understanding.”
Zayn and Liam, by the former’s own admission, have been “butting heads” for years. That doesn’t change the fact that they formed a unique bond during their time in One Direction.
Truth be told, Liam experienced friction with several former bandmates. He was in the process of repairing the fence when he died on 16 October.
Zayn has been a solo artist for eight years. This is his first solo tour. Sharing this simple message for his deceased friend on his show is a worthy tribute to him.