Harry Styles Opens Up About Grief Over Liam Payne’s Death | New Album Details
Harry Styles has spoken candidly about the profound impact of Liam Payne’s death, acknowledging the difficulty of publicly navigating grief while similarly feeling a sense of obligation to acknowledge the outpouring of support from fans. The conversation took place during a recent interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, as Styles prepares for the release of his fourth studio album, Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally, on .
Styles described struggling with the “strange” feeling of others “owning part of your grief,” explaining that he found it challenging to reconcile his personal feelings with the public’s desire for him to express his sorrow in a visible way. “I have such strong feelings around my friend passing away,” he said, “and then suddenly being, you realize, 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?”
Payne died in at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. The tragedy prompted a reunion of the surviving One Direction members – Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik – alongside their former manager, Simon Cowell, at Payne’s funeral in November of that year.
The loss, Styles revealed, prompted a period of deep reflection on his own life and priorities. “It’s so difficult to lose a friend,” he stated. “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.” He added that Payne’s death led him to ask himself, “OK, what do I want to do with my life? How do I want to live my life?”
Styles believes that honoring Payne’s memory involves embracing life to the fullest. “I think the greatest way you can honour your friends who pass away is by living your life to the fullest,” he said. The sentiment, he suggested, is a direct result of grappling with the fragility of life and the importance of cherishing every moment.
The interview with Lowe also touched on Styles’ creative process and the inspiration behind Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally. He explained that the album was influenced by moments when his favorite artists were at their most vulnerable and were “discovering themselves.” This theme of self-discovery appears to be central to the album’s overall message, reflecting Styles’ own journey of introspection following Payne’s death.
Styles also discussed the time he took between Kiss All The Time, Disco, Occasionally and his previous album, Harry’s House (released in 2022), noting that it allowed him to reflect on his career as he approached his 30th birthday. He emphasized the importance of enjoying his work and maintaining a genuine passion for music. “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,” he explained.
He further elaborated on his commitment to authenticity, stating that he wouldn’t want to continue making music simply out of habit or obligation. “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 really be there anymore, but doing it given that it’s just what I’ve always done.” He acknowledged that even considering such a possibility felt “ungrateful” for a long time, but he now believes it’s crucial to allow himself to explore those thoughts honestly.
The full interview with Harry Styles is available on Apple Music’s The Zane Lowe Show. The conversation offers a rare glimpse into the emotional landscape of a global superstar grappling with loss and navigating the complexities of grief in the public eye, while simultaneously preparing to share a new chapter of his artistic journey with the world.