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The fame took a personal toll on Payne, who spoke openly about his struggles with substance abuse and his mental health.<\/p>\n\u201cWhen you\u2019re doing hundreds and hundreds of [concerts] and it\u2019s the same 22 songs at the same time every single day, even if you\u2019re not happy, you\u2019ve got to go out there,\u201d Payne told Men\u2019s Health Australia in 2019. He said he often drank before going on stage in an effort to manage the stress.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s almost like putting the Disney costume on before you step up on stage and underneath the Disney costume I was pissed [drunk] quite a lot of the time because there was no other way to get your head around what was going on,\u201d he said. \u201cI mean, it was fun. We had an absolute blast, but there were certain parts of it where it just got a little bit toxic.\u201d<\/p>\n
In another 2019 interview with British broadcaster Sky News, Payne said he felt \u201cquite lucky to be here still, which is something I\u2019ve never really shared with anyone.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Payne released his debut solo album \u201cLP1\u201d in 2019 and said in 2023 that he was working on his second album. In March of that year, he released the single \u201cTeardrops,\u201d a song he said was \u201cborn from many tears. Some are mine. Others are not.\u201d<\/p>\n
In the summer of 2023, Payne said he was marking six months of sobriety after completing treatment in a US facility. Payne\u2019s tour was set to kick off in South America in September of that year, but he had to\u00a0postpone\u00a0the scheduled dates after suffering a kidney infection.<\/p>\n
Payne\u2019s tragic death has left fans and the music industry reeling, with celebrity tributes pouring in from all corners of the world. The news was splashed across most UK newspapers\u2019 front pages Thursday morning.<\/p>\n
In a post on Instagram, Harry Styles\u2019 mom, Anne Twist, posted an image of a broken heart emoji, captioned \u201cJust a boy.\u201d<\/p>\n
In another Instagram tribute, former X Factor presenter Dermot O\u2019Leary said: \u201cI remember him as a 14 year old turning up to audition on The X Factor, and blowing us away singing Sinatra. He just loved to sing. He was always a joy, had time for everyone, polite, grateful, and was always humble.\u201d<\/p>\n
A vigil has also been held outside the hotel in Buenos Aires.<\/p>\n
Yamila Zacarias, a 25-year-old fan, said One Direction \u201cmeant a lot to me because I was at a stage [in my life] where I wanted to form part of something bigger, and One Direction and being a Directioner was that for me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Behind her, mourning fans lit candles and sang the One Direction song \u201cInfinity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Payne is survived by his son Bear, whom he had with former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Tweedy. Tweedy is an former X Factor judge who was present for both of Payne\u2019s X Factor auditions. The couple confirmed they had split in 2018 but continued to co-parent.<\/p>\n
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