Zayn Malik was back on stage for the first time since the death of former bandmate Liam Payne.
Zayn, 31, took the decision to postpone the US leg of his Stairway to the Sky Tour after Liam fell to his death in Argentina last month. The tragedy left Zayn devastated and needing to delay the start of his first ever headline tour as a solo artist.
Now, after taking to the stage in Leeds on Saturday and before his Sunday evening show in Manchester, Zayn took to Instagram to thank his fans. Sharing a reel of images from the show, he wrote: "Thanks LEEDS !! for an amazing first night! See you tonight MANCHESTER."
It comes after he paid tribute to Liam with an emotional message that was beamed onto the stage amid his performance. The touching note read: "Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you bro." It was presented alongside a red heart. Zayn went on to admit to his adoring fans that he was in good spirits as he sang to the audience.
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Getty Images for ABA)He gushed: "It's good to be back up North," as he performed at the O2 Academy Leeds and belted out an impressive 18 tracks over the course of the evening. According to the Daily Mail, he added: "This might be a pretty decent moment for you all, this is the first time I've ever sang this song live… this song is called Pillow Talk." Many in attendance shared their joy on social media, while also reflecting on the sad fact that Liam had died.
Underneath Zayn's latest post, one fan wrote: "So so sooooo proud of you Zayn, words cannot express the amount of happiness I felt seeing you on stage. So happy for your achievements! Can’t wait to have the possibility to see you live! Stay rocking our world. love you."
In another similarly proud post by one of his followers, a user penned: "Stay strong you can do this bro. No1 is on the way," while a third wrote: "Thank you Zayn, you were amazing in both shows. A total dream come true."
Following Liam's death, Zayn posted a heartbreaking message online. He wrote alongside a photograph of them hugging together: "Liam, I have found myself talking out loud to you, hoping you can hear me, I can’t help but think selfishly that there was so many more conversations for us to have in our lives. I never got to thank you for supporting me through some of the most difficult times in my life. When I was missing home as a 17 yr old kid you would always be there with a positive outlook and reassuring smile and let me know you were my friend and that I was loved.
"Even though you were younger than me you were always more sensible than me, you were headstrong, opinionated, and gave no f**ks about telling people when they were wrong. Even though we butted heads because of this a few times, I always secretly respected you for it.
"When it came to the music Liam, you were the most qualified in every sense. I knew nothing in comparison, I was a novice child with no experience and you were already a professional. I was always happy to know, no matter what happened on stage we could always rely on you to know which way to steer the ship next."
He went on: "I lost a brother when you left us and can’t explain to you what I’d give to just give you a hug one last time and say goodbye to you properly and tell you that I loved and respected you dearly. I will cherish all the memories I have with you in my heart forever, there is no words that justify or explain how I feel right now other than beyond devastated. I hope that wherever you are right now you are good and are at peace and you know how loved you are. Love you bro."
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English (US) ·