Harry Styles has opened up about the death of One Direction star Liam Payne.
In an interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, the 32-year-old described his former bandmate as the "kindest heart who just wanted to be great".
It comes as the 32-year-old prepares to release his fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally, this week.
Styles admitted he finds it difficult to talk about his late bandmate and spoke about his grief following the tragedy.
Harry Styles opens up on death of Liam Payne
The singer said: "Full transparency, it’s like something that I, even the idea of talking about it, I struggle with that a little bit, even.
“I think there was a period when he passed away, where I really struggled with kind of like acknowledging how strange it is to have people kind of like own part of your grief in a way.
"I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away, and then suddenly being, you know, like aware of there’s maybe like a desire from other people of you to convey that in some way, or it means you’re not feeling what you’re feeling or something, you know?"
Liam Payne died at just 31 in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
Fellow One Direction members Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik, as well as Harry Styles, reunited at his funeral a month later in November.
Harry said: "It’s so difficult to lose a friend.
"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.
“It was a really important moment for me in terms of taking a look at my life and being able to say to myself, ‘OK, what do I want to do with my life? How do I want to live my life?’.
“And I think the greatest way you can honour your friends who pass away is by living your life to the fullest.
"Like super special person and really sad.”
When is Harry Styles' new album coming out?
The interview on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show comes ahead of the release of Styles’ fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally, which Styles said was influenced by moments of vulnerability and self-discovery.
The album comes out on Friday (March 6), with the singer performing a special 'One Night Only' show in Manchester before going on a world tour later this year, including a record-breaking 12-night run at Wembley Stadium.
He explained that the break between his new record and his previous release, Harry’s House, allowed him to reflect on his career as he turned 30.
The singer said: "I’ve always had the conversation with myself about if I ever checked in with myself and was like, 'I don’t love it, it’s not fun anymore’, then I kind of just made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t do it.
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"I don’t think it’s fair in a lot of ways, I don’t think it’s fair to me, I really don’t think it’s fair to the fans for me to not do it, (not) really be there anymore, but doing it because it’s just what I’ve always done.
“And I think what has been interesting is kind of allowing myself to even have that thought process.
"I think for a long time even having that conversation with myself, I thought like, ‘oh you’re so ungrateful like how can you ever think about deciding not to do it’, and stuff like that.”
Will you be listening to Harry Styles' new album when it releases on March 6? Let us know in the comments.
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