Louis Tomlinson is grieving the loss of his friend Liam Payne.
Following Payne’s tragic death on Oct. 16 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tomlinson—his former One Direction bandmate, alongside Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan—broke his silence, expressing he was “struggling with the idea of saying goodbye.”
“I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother,” Tomlinson wrote on Instagram Oct. 17 alongside a photo of the pair. “Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul. I first met Liam when he was 16 and I was 18, I was instantly amazed by his voice but more importantly as time went on I got a chance to see the kind brother I’d longed all my life for.”
The “Just Hold On” singer went on to praise Payne’s talent and importance to their group’s success.
“Liam was an incredible song writer with a great sense of melody,” Tomlinson continued. “For the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction. His experience from a young age, his perfect pitch, his stage presence, his gift for writing. The list goes on. Thank you for shaping us Liam.”
