Liam Payne Dies at 31

Former One Direction member Liam Payne has died at the age of 31 after falling off a balcony from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Liam Payne’s death has shocked many people - regardless of whether they were 1D fans. One Direction was a big part of pop culture and one of the best-selling boy bands in the modern era.  To hear this news is a shock because Payne was reportedly gearing up for his next album to release. Not to mention that he was recently in the news as his former partner Maya Henry had accused him of physically and emotionally abusive behaviour.

I’m shocked and upset even though I wasn’t really a fan like my friends were. Payne had so much life ahead of him, so much potential and things that he could have achieved. Growing up with One Direction, it was like they’d always be there in the background. Even when they split up, it wasn’t a big deal to me but you’d always hear of their solo stuff or what they were doing.

And I realised that Payne isn’t 20 years older than me either. He leaves behind his 6 year old son Bear who now has to grow up without his father and will remember him through the celebrity lens.

Life is fleeting. Celebrities are as human as we are. We have to live each day and make the most of what we have here. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and worked up about trivial matters, but deaths like these put it all into perspective. Our time is precious and should be spent doing things we love with the people we love.

RIP Liam Payne.

*Photo obtained from the Independent, all rights reserved