Zayn Malik announced he’s postponing the U.S. leg of his Stairway to the Sky tour following the death of Liam Payne.
Malik took to his Instagram Story on Saturday morning to share the news, following his fellow One Direction band member dying on Wednesday after falling from the third-floor balcony of his hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
He wrote, “Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour. The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days.”
The post concluded, “Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates, love you all and thank you for your understanding.”
Malik paid tribute to Payne on Friday with a lengthy post shared to his Instagram alongside a photo of the two of them when they were much younger. He started by sharing that he has found himself talking out loud to his late friend, hoping that he can hear him
“I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives,” he wrote. “I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved. Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated and gave no fucks about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.”
He praised Payne’s musical talents, noting that he was “the most qualified” of all of the One Direction members. “I knew nothing in comparison, l was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional and I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next,” Malik continued.
He concluded his tribute with, “I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that 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. Love you bro.”
Malik also released a joint statement about the loss of Payne with the band, which included Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson.
The English singer-songwriter died from trauma and internal and external bleeding, according to an autopsy performed in the Argentine capital after falling from the third floor. The Buenos Aires police told The Associated Press in a statement that his fall resulted in “extremely serious injuries.” Medics confirmed his death on the spot, the statement said.
