S Poddar
To 5 Seconds of Summer, who share the stage with One Direction, pay their respects following Liam Payne’s sudden death. Payne was a former member of One Direction, an English-Irish boy band, died when he fell from a hotel balcony, which led to his death, in Buenos Aires on Oct. 16.
Reports state that the hotel staff had called for emergency services to admit a guest who was suspected to have overdosed. Following the autopsy, it was determined that Payne died from “polytrauma and internal and external bleeding” from the fall. Toxicology also revealed that the victim had “pink cocaine,” the drug used for leisure use among other toxins in his system.
Paying through the nose with bandmates Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan when they were created as One Direction on The X Factor UK in 2010, One Direction later dominated the world’s music charts and became one of the greatest boy bands of the 2010s. Now, although they are in hiatus since 2016, the influence that they wielded was such that it did really reach groups such as 5 Seconds of Summer, which were their touring mates when they were at the height of their fame.
One of those groups is 5SOS, the Australian group of Ashton Irwin, Luke Hemmings, Michael Clifford, and Calum Hood. The group soared to international fame in 2013 when they opened for One Direction on the latter’s world tour for Take Me Home. Four boys received this opportunity when Louis Tomlinson found them on YouTube and offered a spot to open for One Direction on their Take Me Home tour. These young men had formed their band way back in 2011 in Sydney but were thrust into international stardom after teaming up with One Direction.
During his tour with One Direction, 5SOS gained extreme publicity and has a very large following. All their first three studio albums did well: the 2014 and 2015’s Drive-Thru Live, and 2018’s Five Seconds of Summer, all topping the Billboard 200. Their fast rise in fame is often partly attributed to the launching pad that was One Direction.
The members of 5SOS have demonstrated and are very grateful to their former touring friends. Even though the bands take different paths about their career, for all those years in the tour, friendship relationships came into place, and mutual respect was always high.
As a matter fact, it was reported in 2014 that all the members of the boyband One Direction have a financial interest in 5SOS. According to reports, the five 1D members reportedly had shares of a London-based company called 5SOS LLP, making this another reason even for the two groups to be more bonded together.
Under that rapport it’s no surprise that 5SOS lamented the news of such lightning-fast report that Liam Payne died. Band issued a joint statement on Oct. 18, days after the tragedy stated, “We are heartbroken by the loss of Liam,” they wrote in a touching tribute, stamping out the deep pain of the loss that they have lost some precious hours while being part of it.
The members of 5SOS appreciated the support and camaraderie they enjoyed with the One Direction star and how much that influence came into their lives professionally and personally. Liam, in concert with his bandmates, did much to define 5SOS’s career history, and the fact that the bonds forged in those formative years seemed stronger because of them.
5SOS commented on the kindness, influence, and friendships that were formed due to years of shared touring in their statement. Given that so much of their journey to international stardom was intertwined with that of One Direction, Payne’s early death likely really resonated with the members of 5SOS as much of their early success sprang from the opportunities they were given while opening for One Direction.
These tributes, especially from fellow musicians who actually knew him well, remind everyone of the lasting impact he had on those lives. For 5 Seconds of Summer, a friend now is gone, but also someone who played a key role in their rise to fame:.
