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Harry Styles has opened up about how the death of his former bandmate Liam Payne affected him, sharing that it encouraged him to reflect on life and make the most of every moment.
Payne died at the age of 31 in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Styles spoke about how this loss affected him during an appearance on New Zealand DJ Zane Lowe’s podcast ahead of the release of his fourth studio album Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally.
The singer said it was difficult to lose someone who was not only a friend, but also someone very similar to himself. It marks the first time he has spoken in detail about the impact of his friend’s death since One Direction shared a joint statement in 2024.
“I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great,” he said. “It was a really important moment for me, in terms of taking a look at my life and being able to say to myself, ‘OK, what do I want to do with my life? How do I want to live my life?’”
He continued by saying the greatest way to honour friends who have died is to “live your life to the fullest”.
Payne and Styles were both members of the British boy band One Direction, which formed in 2010 on The X Factor. They, along with Zayn Malik, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, quickly rose to global fame before disbanding in 2016 to pursue different projects, including solo careers. However, the group reunited to pay tribute to their former band member at Payne’s funeral in November 2024.
Styles said it still isn’t easy for him to discuss the death of his friend – whom he described as a “super special person” – and also touched on the difficulty of grieving as a public figure.
“There was a period when he passed away where I really struggled with acknowledging how strange it is to have people own part of your grief in a way,” Styles said. “I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away. And then suddenly being aware of there’s maybe a desire from other people [for] you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something.”
Styles’ comments come shortly before the release of Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which is dropping globally on Friday (AEDT). The album is the 32-year-old’s first full-length project in four years. Early reviews have described it as “slow-burning, but satisfying” and “muted, subtle and pleasant”.
In the lead-up to the release, Styles performed the album’s lead single Aperture at the 2026 Brit Awards, marking his first performance in nearly three years.
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