Rita Ora and Liam Payne. Lia Toby/BFC/Getty Images for BFC
Rita Ora paid tribute to her late “For You” collaborator, Liam Payne, during her Thursday, October 17, concert.
Ora, 33, performed in Osaka, Japan on Thursday, singing “For You,” a song from the 50 Shades Freed soundtrack, as part of her setlist. A photo of Ora and Payne in the recording studio was displayed on a large screen. Ora even gazed at the photo as she walked off the stage, per social media footage.
Hours earlier, Us Weekly confirmed on Wednesday, October 16, that Payne had fallen to his death at the age of 31. According to emergency responders, the musician suffered a cranial fracture and other serious injuries in the incident. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Payne is survived by his parents, his two sisters and his 7-year-old son, Bear Grey, whom he shared with ex Cheryl Cole.
Liam Payne navigated a series of ups and downs throughout his career in the spotlight ahead of his tragic death at 31. Payne rose to fame as a member of British boy band One Direction alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik. The group was put together and mentored by Simon Cowell […]
Upon his death, Ora was among the celebrities to pay tribute to Payne’s legacy.
“I’m devastated 💔, He had the kindest soul, I will never forget,” Ora wrote via Instagram earlier on Thursday, uploading the same photo that was broadcast during the concert. “I loved working with him so much — he was just such a joy to be around on and off stage.”
Rita Ora and Liam Payne backstage stage during The Fashion Awards 2019. Darren Gerrish/Getty Images
She added, “This tragic news breaks my heart. Sending all my love and prayers to his family and loved ones. Our song ‘For You’ takes on a whole new meaning for me now. R.I.P 🕊️.”
Ora played Christian Grey’s sister, Mia, in the 50 Shades franchise. To celebrate 2018’s 50 Shades Freed, the pop star was tasked to create an original song with Payne as her duet partner.
“I love Liam,” Ora previously gushed during a November 2019 interview on the U.K.’s Hits Live radio show. “We built such a great friendship and I love him so much.”
Payne felt the same, revealing in a 2018 interview that it was “quite an honor” to perform the duet for the 50 Shades soundtrack.
“It’s nice — obviously, it’s the first time I’ve done this — so it’s cool,” Payne said during a January 2018 appearance on the Elvis Duran Morning Show. “When you release a single, I think there’s a lot more nerves, I think the pressure comes off when it’s a full [album] or something else. We’re loving life right now, it’s great.”
