Maggie Rogers has paid tribute to the late Liam Payne with a tender cover of One Direction‘s song ‘Night Changes’. Check out the footage below.
The solo artist and former One Direction member died on Wednesday (October 16), following a fatal fall from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The Argentine prosecutor’s office has revealed that the 31-year-old’s cause of death was due to multiple traumas and internal and external bleeding.
While performing at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts as part of her ongoing ‘Don’t Forget Me Part II’ tour, Rogers took the time to address the crowd midway through her show to pay tribute to Payne.
“This week, in particular, I’ve been thinking how precious life is and how quickly things can change,” Rogers said. The singer went on to share that one of her oldest friends informed her of Payne’s death and said: “She walked into my room and told be Liam Payne had died. We’re just about the same age and anytime a public figure, especially a musical peer, slips off, it’s really present.
“I’ve been sending a bunch of love to my friends in that band for the last couple of hours and I wanted to just honour anyone who has been touched by [One Direction’s] music,” she added, before jumping into a stripped down rendition of ‘Night Changes’ on the piano.
maggie rogers just did a tribute for liam and sang part of night changes and im sobbing pic.twitter.com/WYswkpxw5e
— 🍉 (@pleasingblooms) October 18, 2024
maggie rogers just covered night changes by one direction in boston and i sobbed pic.twitter.com/ZycC8k0Rrd
— hannah 🍅🍉 (@hannahcroteau) October 18, 2024
Maggie Rogers talking about Liam and singing night changes x tswiftdiary pic.twitter.com/uVklelw117
— Jayne (@ontourhs_) October 18, 2024
Released on November 12, 2014, ‘Night Changes’ served as the second and final single from One Direction’s fourth studio album ‘Four’. The song is one of the group’s most critically acclaimed tracks and has received praise for contemplating the fleeting nature of life with depth and maturity. It explores the fast nature of time and the importance of seizing life’s moments while gaining love along the way.
Yesterday (October 17) saw One Direction’s surviving members – Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles – share a joint statement, in which they expressed their devastation and said that they would need time “to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly.”
Since then, the surviving members have gone on to share their own respective, touching tributes to the singer.
“I’m absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn’t feel real,” Horan said. “Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.
Styles wrote: “I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.”
A portion of Malik’s tribute reads: “Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there are so many more conversations for us to have in our lives.”
Tomlinson shared a photo of themselves on stage while performing and wrote: “I am beyond devastated to be writing this but yesterday I lost a brother. Liam was somebody I looked up to everyday, such a positive, funny, and kind soul.
“And for the record, Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction,” Tomlinson continued. “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.”
Payne’s family have also issued a statement, saying: “We are heartbroken. Liam will forever live in our hearts and we’ll remember him for his kind, funny and brave soul. We are supporting each other the best we can as a family and ask for privacy and space at this awful time.”
In other news, Simon Cowell paid tribute to Payne, saying he “feels empty” and “heartbroken” by the singer’s death.
Earlier this morning (October 18), it was reported that Sharon Osbourne – who was also a judge on The X Factor, although not on the 2010 season – accused the music industry of “letting down” Liam Payne following his death.
“Liam, my heart aches,” she said. “We all let you down. Where was this industry when you needed them? You were just a kid when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner? Rest in peace my friend.”