All news in the musical news of the week has been eclipsed by the tragic death of Liam Payneformer member of one of the boybands most quoted in history, One Direction. The British interpreter died at just 31 years old this Wednesday, October 16, in a hotel in Buenos Aires after falling from a third floor.
Since then, social networks have been filled with words towards the singer. The most anticipated, those of his colleagues until the group’s breakup in 2016: Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan.
“We are completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone can, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, whom we loved dearly. The memories we shared with him will be cherished forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends and the fans who loved him along with us. We will miss him very much. We love you, Liam, Louis, Zayn, Niall and Harry,” the artists wrote in a joint statement. Subsequently, each of them has sent a message to Liam through their profiles. An emotional gesture that has been shared by other vital figures in Payne’s life, such as his girlfriend Kate Cassidy, or the mother of his 7-year-old son Bear, the singer Cheryl Cole.
The theories surrounding Liam Payne’s tragic end all point to the same place: the pressure of fame, addictions and loss of control. Elements that seemed to be present until the last day of his life. An outcome once again puts the survival of mass idols in focus in an increasingly fierce and accelerated music industry. A panorama where mental health has been historically threatened, and where we have had to mourn more than one loss similar to Payne’s.
Liam’s case also makes us think of others child stars who have gone through processes in common with the British artist. Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Miley Cyrus are some figures of their generation who They claim to have lived through hell in the face of public pressure and drugs as a path crossed in his career. Bieber, in his song Lonelyportrayed the loneliness of success and the loop of illness that addiction brings: “And everyone saw me sick, and it felt like no one cared. They criticized the things I did like an idiot child. What would happen if you had everything, but no one to call?” Justin repeats in the song.
Liam had even previously spoken about using alcohol to cope with the massive success he experienced with One Direction. “It is difficult to have the level of fame that we had in the band,” the performer confessed in a interview in 2019. “There have been many people with mental health problems who are not getting the help they need. That’s a problem in our industry. It’s the same shit that happens to everyone, since the 70s. You know what the pitfalls are and if you’re lucky enough, like me, to get out of that scenario and return to a sense of normality, you’ll know that this is a bit different,” the artist confessed at that time.
Payne even admitted that going on stage for him was like putting on a costume. “I was drunk most of the time because there was no other way to get your head used to what was going on. I mean, it was fun, we had an amazing time but there were some parts that got a little toxic.” The ‘Teardrops’ singer also spoke out in 2021, during his interview on the podcast The Diary of a CEO who had experienced suicidal thoughts.
The artist never stopped making efforts to try to get his life and mental health problems back on track, announcing in 2023 that he had spent 100 days in rehabilitation. However, in the last year, things have continued to get complicated for Payne, first facing the postponement of his tour due to a serious kidney infection, and later, also the postponement of his second solo album.
The death of Liam Payne once again leaves many unanswered questions. Among them, the risks to which artists are exposed in the music industry and the question of the extent to which these are avoidable.
