Harry Styles and Liam Payne’s Friendship Through the Years: One Direction and Beyond

Harry Styles and Liam Payne’s friendship went way beyond One Direction.

The singers met when they became bandmates (alongside Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik) during their stint on The X Factor in 2010. As a fivesome, the group released four albums together before Malik departed from the band in March 2015. The remaining members released one more album before announcing an indefinite hiatus in December 2015.

As they all went on to release solo music, some of the former band members stayed close. Styles and Payne didn’t make their ongoing friendship a particularly public ordeal, but the duo continued to support each other’s careers. (Payne died at age 31 in October 2024 following a fall from a hotel balcony.)

"We've all had our success in completely different areas, and also musically, we didn't really go down the same route. I think Harry's done amazing,” Payne said while appearing on the “Diary of a CEO” podcast in June 2021. “I mean, first album he had the one song off which is really really well and then [on] his second album, he found himself.”

Breaking Down the One Direction Guys’ Solo Careers by the Numbers

Keep scrolling to see Styles and Payne’s friendship through the years:

July 2010

Payne and Styles became band members when One Direction was officially formed on The X Factor.

April 2013

During a London concert, Payne notoriously pulled down Styles’ pants during a performance of “What Makes You Beautiful.”

August 2015

While performing as part of the Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, Payne and Styles had their arms wrapped around each other during a group photo with Horan and Tomlinson.

June 2017

Payne shared a tribute for Styles’ late stepfather, Robin Twist.

"Harry my heart really goes out to you such an extremely sad day for us all who knew Robin,” he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post. “What a kind, gentle and beautiful soul, a true rarity to find in today's world. Sometimes they really do take the best of us far too soon.”

October 2017

Payne revealed during an interview with U.K.’s The Sun that he has “bumped into” Styles while in New York City.

“He’s been through a rough time recently. God bless him, he was really happy to see me. The funniest thing was we didn’t really talk business. Dunkirk was out and all this was happening, and we just gave each other a big hug,” Payne said. “We didn’t say much but you could tell we were really happy to see each other. It was like touching home base.”

December 2019

Both Payne and Styles performed at the CapitalFM Jingle Bell Ball that year.

"We spoke about a number of things,” Payne said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen later that same month. “It was good to see him, he was pretty much the same boy that I left him.”

June 2021

During an Instagram Live, Payne revealed that he and Styles had spoken on the phone for a “lovely” chat.

“He called me because he has a sixth sense for if I’m struggling or if one of us is in trouble, I feel like,” Payne said at the time. “I spoke to him, and it was a really lovely catch up actually. And I’ve got a lot of love for the man. He’s great, he’s really, really great.”

Liam Payne Through the Years: Revisiting the One Direction Alum’s Life in Photos

February 2023

Following Styles’ multiple Grammy Awards wins, Payne posted a social media tribute to his former bandmate.

“Wow … this image is really something to wake up to and when you write music like you do Harry you deserve every millisecond of that moment looking down smiling at the trophy you’ve earned,” he shared on Instagram. “God bless you brother congratulations.”

October 2024

“I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing. His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honor to be alongside him as he did it,” Styles wrote via Instagram one day after Us confirmed Payne died in Argentina.

The “Watermelon Sugar” singer praised Payne for all that he was, revealing, “Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving. The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend.”

Styles concluded: “My heart breaks for Karen, Geoff, Nicola and Ruth, his son Bear, and all those around the world who loved him, as I did.”