The song, written for his late One Direction bandmate, premiered on the second anniversary of Payne's death.
Harry Styles paid tribute to his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne on Friday, October 16, performing the live debut of a song he wrote for him. The show at Madison Square Garden was sold out and part of Styles's 30-night residency there. It fell on the second anniversary of Payne's death.
Payne died on October 16, 2024, after falling from a third-floor balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was 31.
Styles paused before the song to speak to the crowd. "I feel incredibly lucky to get to play these shows here in New York, and this building means a lot to me," he said, thinking back on those who had given his life its shape.
He then turned to the date, and what it meant to him:
"And two years ago today, I lost one of those friends."
"I'm sure a lot of you have been through similar things. I hope you haven't. But really, it's just about looking after each other." He added: "So many people who have touched my life in such special ways, I wouldn't be here without."
Before playing, he said: "I'm gonna play you a song I wrote for my friend about two years ago, if that's all right." He introduced it as "This is 'What Is Enough'" and performed it for the first time.
One Direction formed on The X Factor in the U.K. in 2010 and went on hiatus in 2016. Payne became famous together with Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles. Styles and Payne stayed close friends after the hiatus.
Shortly after Payne's death, Styles and the other remaining members released a joint statement. "We're completely devastated by the news of Liam's passing," it read.
In March, Styles spoke about his friend's death with Zane Lowe on Apple Music. "It's difficult to lose any friend, but it's so difficult to lose a friend who is so like you in so many ways. It's like, I saw someone with the kindest heart who just wanted to be great."
In the two years since Payne's death, each surviving member of the band has returned to making music.
The tribute came during the Together, Together Tour, which supports Styles's fourth studio album, Kiss All the Time, Disco Occasionally. The tour includes a 30-show residency at Madison Square Garden, and Ticketmaster reported that 11.5 million people registered for presale access to it.
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