Hundreds of One Direction fans gathered in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday to pay their respects to Liam Payne, the former member of the British-Irish boy band who died on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Minute-long moments of silence were held every hour on the dot, when the crowd got so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
Jordi, 24, choked up telling Variety how One Direction helped her find a community during adolescence.
When one teenage girl fainted in the crowd, she was helped to safety by onlookers who then offered her sips of water from their own bottles.
Freya, 17, said Payne’s superpower was keeping the dream of One Direction alive and the fans together.
One Direction’s former member Liam Payne passed away on Wednesday after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hundreds of the band’s supporters flocked to London’s Hyde Park on Sunday to pay their respects.
Rain or not, the line stretched as far as the eye could see in front of the park’s Peter Pan statue, where both young and old fans were paying tribute to Payne with flowers, balloons shaped like hearts, and letters. Every hour on the ., when the crowd fell so silent that you could hear a pin drop, there were minute-long moments of silence. Sometimes, hordes of fans would start singing along to One Direction hits like “Best Song Ever,” “What Makes You Beautiful,” and “History,” leading to impromptu singalongs. “.
There was an obvious sense of emotion in the sea of fans, with many of them sporting teary faces and the odd cry resonating. The 24-year-old Jordi broke down in tears as she told Variety how One Direction gave her a sense of belonging when she was a teenager.
“This band has been the only constant in my life, I think. I was thinking about it on the train,” she remarked. Jordi acknowledged that she had fantasies about running into Payne while she was employed at the upscale department store Selfridges and telling him, “You are so loved, you are so needed here, you are so worthy of good things and you are worthy of help.”. “.
Payne had been transparent about his battle with addiction both before and after One Direction disbanded in 2016. According to a statement from local authorities, the police were called about “an aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol” before he tragically fell.
I believe that the reason I felt able to understand his thoughts and experiences was because I deal with mental health issues myself. I just wanted to say, “I see you,” because I could see how you were hurting. “I understand you,” Jordi said. The manner in which it ended also just crushes my heart. It isn’t believable. Something doesn’t feel quite right. “.
Knowing that everyone was there for the same reason, friends hugged friends and strangers hugged strangers during the memorial. As a teenage girl passed out in the middle of the crowd, bystanders helped her to safety and gave her sips of water from their own bottles. To help her raise her blood sugar, some gave her back cookies and other sweets.
The 17-year-old Freya claimed that Payne’s superpower was preserving One Direction’s dream and uniting the fan base.
She said, sobbing, “It seems like he was meant to be on stage.”. “Even after he broke up with the band, he always managed to stay in touch with his followers and fostered the belief that the group would reunite in the future. “.
After exchanging hugs, Freya pulled herself together and presented Payne with a dozen roses, a One Direction logo balloon, and a handwritten note. The words, “What are we but shooting stars, hoping to shine long enough to make at least one soul believe in magic,” were written at the top of the note. “.
She remarked, “He was just a star that burned out too soon.”.
