Liam Payne's death in Buenos Aires, at just 31 years old, shocks the world.
"My deepest condolences to Liam's family and friends. One Direction was one of the biggest bands in history and their music had an enormous impact on millions of fans around the world", says Prime Minister Keir Starmer in a statement via a spokesperson.
Swedish-British artist Mabel, who is the daughter of Neneh Cherry, knew Liam Payne and has, among other things, toured with One Direction colleague Harry Styles.
"My thoughts are with Liam's family and friends. You will be so missed", writes Mabel on social media.
"Can't comprehend"
Charlie Puth, who collaborated with Payne on, among other things, the single "Bedroom floor", writes on Instagram that he is shocked.
"Liam was always so kind to me. He was one of the first big artists I got to work with. I can't comprehend that he's gone", he writes.
Katia Mosally, one of the jury members in Swedish "Idol", writes on social media "Damn. This feels real, really real" and tells that she worked with Payne for the first time when he was 16 years old. She describes him as "down-to-earth, easy to work with and kind".
"This is so incredibly tragic. A whole generation will wake up tomorrow to a heartbreak. A part of their teenage years/childhood is now gone", writes Mosally.
Liam Payne and the rest of One Direction broke through in the British TV program "X factor". In a statement on the program's official Instagram account, it reads:
"We are heartbroken over Liam Payne's passing. He was an incredible talent and as part of One Direction, he leaves a lasting impact on the music industry and on fans."
"Life is fragile"
Even artists like Ronnie Wood and members of Boyzone and Backstreet Boys, as well as organizations like Spotify and Brit awards, express their dismay on social media.
Oasis star Liam Gallagher writes on X:
"Life is fragile, kids, and you only get to live it once."
British singer Rebecca Ferguson competed in "X factor" at the same time as One Direction in 2010. In a post on X, she remembers an innocent boy who was still unaffected by success, and writes that she believes Payne would be alive today if he hadn't been exploited by a greedy industry.
"For years, I've been talking about the exploitation of young stars and the effect of it – many of us are still living with the consequences of it and with PTSD", she writes.
