Liam Payne, who gained fame as a member of One Direction, was discovered deceased outside his hotel, on October 16th, at the age of 31. It has been revealed that he tragically fell from the balcony of a third-story room, leaving fans and loved ones in shock.

The director of emergency services in Bueno Aires, Alberto Crescenti, confirmed the death. It is currently unknown if his death was accidental, and the case is still under investigation. The former singer had previously been vocal about his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as suicidal thoughts. Prior to the incident, police were called to the hotel to address an “aggressive man who appeared to be under the influence of drugs.”

Payne had been in Argentina since early October and attended a concert by his former bandmate, Niall Horan, with his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy. Both musicians gained fame on The X Factor after being grouped with Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, and Louis Tomlinson. After finishing third on the show, the band gained a massive fanbase and went on to release 5 albums. The band split in January 2016, and each member went on to pursue solo careers. 

In 2017, Payne launched his solo career with the release of his single Strip That Down, featuring Quavo. This track has since amassed over 1 billion streams across various platforms. Two years later, he released his debut solo album, LP1, which topped Billboard’s Heatseekers Album chart. Throughout his solo career, Payne has accumulated 3 billion radio streams and over 897 million streams across streaming platforms.

Liam Payne is survived by his 7-year-old son, Bear Grey Payne, his two sisters, Ruth and Nicola, and his parents, Geoff and Karen Payne. Although no one close to him has publicly commented on the tragedy, fans have taken to social media to express their sorrow for the loss of their favorite musician. As details are released, the world will continue to mourn his loss.