Shawn Mendes paid tribute to Liam Payne at his show Friday night (Oct. 18) at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater.
Speaking from the stage, an emotional Mendes told the crowd he had met Payne “a couple of times” and described his impressions of the late One Direction member, who died at age 31 after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina on Wednesday night (Oct. 16).
“I got to meet Liam a couple of times, and he was a beautiful soul and his eyes gleamed, it was beautiful,” Mendes began. “It’s about grieving those we miss with tears and it’s also about celebrating them and who they were and what they left in this world and I just want to take a second to send so much love to him wherever he is up there. Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you. This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us.”
Following his comments, Mendes launched into “Heart of Gold,” a yet-to-be-released song he has performed live previously.
“You had a heart of gold/You left too soon, it was out of your control/Underneath your skin and bone/You had a heart of gold,” Mendes sings in the chorus.
You can watch video of the moment here.
In the wake of Payne’s untimely death, a number of celebrities have paid tribute to the singer, with his four One Direction bandmates releasing a joint statement on Thursday (Oct. 17) saying they are “completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing.” All four also released individual statements mourning their late collaborator. And on Friday, X Factor creator Simon Cowell — who gave Payne his start by placing him in One Direction in 2010 — said he was “devastated” and “heartbroken” over the loss.
