Shawn Mendes Dedicates ‘Heart of Gold’ to Liam Payne: ‘He Was a Beautiful Soul’

Shawn Mendes honored Liam Payne during his performance at the Brooklyn Paramount Theater in New York on Friday night.

The singer addressed the crowd and said that he had met Payne “a couple of times. He added, “He was a beautiful soul and his eyes gleamed. It was beauty shining through his eyes.” Payne died on Wednesday at the age of 31 after falling from a hotel room in Argentina.

“It’s about grieving those we miss with tears and it’s also about celebrating them and who they were and what they left in this world,” Mendes continued. “I just want to take a second to send so much love to him wherever he is up there. Liam, we love you. The world is crying for you, brother, and we’re all praying for your son and your family. I miss you.” Mendes added, “This one’s for you tonight, Liam, from all of us,” and began to play unreleased track, “Heart of Gold.”

The chorus sees Mendes sing: “You had a heart of gold/You left too soon/It was out of your control/Underneath your skin and bone/You had a heart of gold.”

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Following the tragic news of Payne’s death, musicians and fans across the globe have shared tributes on social media to the 1D artist. All of the surviving members of One Direction have shared their own tributes to Payne, with the band releasing a joint statement as well.

“We’re completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing. In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say. But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly,” Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan wrote in the statement.