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Zayn pays emotional tribute to Liam Payne on 10th anniversary of leaving One Direction

27 March 2025, 13:56

Zayn paid tribute to Liam Payne with a One Direction song. Picture: Getty

By Capital FM

Zayn is making sure to remember Liam Payne throughout his current tour.

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Zayn Malik singing One Direction song ‘Night Changes’ had fans tearful on his 'Stairway to the Sky' tour this week, and later on in the night he sang his song ‘It’s You’ for the crowd, dedicating the emotional track to bandmate Liam Payne, who died in October.

As he approached Liam’s verse he motioned to the crowd to quieten down and fans were left in tears over the whole moment.

‘Night Changes’ was one of One Direction’s most iconic hits and after finishing the song originally sang with bandmates Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam, Zayn said he was almost brought to tears.

Read more: Zayn Malik’s tribute to Liam Payne in his hometown leaves fans in tears

“It’s the first time I sang that song in 10 years,” he told the crowd after the performance. “Thank you, that was f---ing amazing. I almost cried at one point. This is insane.”

Zayn Malik performs onstage during the Stairway To The Sky Tour. Picture: Getty

Fans also noticed how there was a subtle breeze through Zayn’s hair just as he begun Liam’s verse, which only added to the poignancy, pointing out he was singing in an enclosed arena.

What’s even more touching, is the performance came on the 10th anniversary of the day Zayn left One Direction after five years with the group.

There was an emotional moment once again when Zayn sang ‘It’s You’ from his 2016 album ‘Mind of Mine’, a softer song about the loss of love which he dedicated to Liam on the night.

Zayn left One Direction in 2015. Picture: Getty

According to fans in the crowd, before Zayn started the song, he said: “This song always moves me, but this version, when I get a lump in my throat, it's too much.”

Incredibly, more than 20,000 people stayed silent as he sang.