Zayn Malik's touching tribute to Liam Payne in hometown Wolverhampton as he says 'every night'
Zayn Malik issued an emotional tribute to Liam Payne as he performed in Wolverhampton this weekend. The singer, who found fame in One Direction, made special reference to his former bandmate's hometown on Friday night, November 29.
The 31-year-old took the decision to quit the chart-topping band in 2015, discussing his mental health and desires to live as normally as possible. However, in recent weeks, he has been performing as a solo artist for the first time on his debut headline tour.
Zayn's Stairway to the Sky Tour has seen him perform in cities such as London, Manchester, Leeds and now - Liam's hometown of Wolverhampton. Performing an emotionally-charged first show in the city since the singer's death, he said: "Rest in peace, I hope you're seeing this."
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Liam tragically fell to his death from the balcony of his third floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16. After initially postponing his tour, Zayn has now included a tribute to Liam at the end of each show.
Speaking on stage at the University of Wolverhampton's The Halls in the most recent gig, Zayn said: "I've been doing something, at the end of the show, every night, and it's been dedicated to my brother Liam Payne. Rest in peace. I hope you're seeing this, we're in your hometown tonight, Wolverhampton, this is for you, Liam."
A screen read: "Liam Payne 1993 – 2024. Love you bro," alongside a pink heart. Fans have since taken to X, formerly known as Twitter to share their comments, with many being left heartbroken once again. One said "I cried as soon as he said it. So lovely to hear the devotion."
One fan penned: "Stop I'm crying." "It's so weird hearing him say Liam Payne and Rest in Peace in the same sentence, I don't think I’ll ever get over it," said a second alongside a crying face emoji.
"The way he spoke... You know he is still talking out loud to him," wrote another. Meanwhile a fifth commented: "Sounds like a touching tribute, gotta respect the brotherhood."