Former One Direction star Niall Horan has revealed he felt compelled to rewrite one of his songs following the death of his former bandmate Liam Payne. Payne died aged 31 in 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Horan explained that he rewrote the track 'End Of An Era' with songwriters John Ryan and Julian Bunetta, who had also worked on One Direction's final album. The song had originally been written about moving on and nostalgia, but after Payne's death, Horan felt the need to revisit it.
Horan said: 'We wrote End Of An Era about four times, because originally the song to me meant, 'all right, we're moving on'. ... And then it was like, 'No, we need to return to this' after Liam passed.' He added that the process was 'a very weird experience' but something they felt they 'had to do' for themselves, the fans, and anyone who knew Payne.
The Irish singer also spoke about watching his former bandmates perform as solo artists, saying he feels 'a sense of pride' seeing them create their own communities. He recalled attending Harry Styles' show and being reminded of One Direction's stadium concerts.
Horan's solo career began after One Direction went on hiatus in 2016. His latest album, 'Dinner Party', is set for release this summer.
