Why One Direction member Liam Payne’s sudden death is so shocking to Gen Z

It’s impossible to overstate the hold One Direction had on my generation. You don’t have to be a fan to have been left reeling from the death of Liam Payne.

When I learnt this morning that Liam Payne had died, I was properly shell-shocked.

I thought the colleague who texted the group chat about his death was making a joke. Dark humour, sure, but a joke nonetheless.

After I googled Liam’s name, however, it was confirmed.

It’s hard to explain why I’m so shocked. After all, I confess I’ve never been a One Direction fan. Not from any moral superiority, their music has just never been my thing.

Payne was a member of One Direction. Picture: Marc Piasecki/GC Images

Even though I wasn’t a fan when they emerged, it was still a massive cultural moment that we all participated in. It is impossible to overstate the hold that One Direction had over the world between 2011 and 2015.

I remember having a sleepover at a friend’s house in about 2012, and her bedroom was completely plastered with posters of 1D. When we went to sleep, she kissed the posters goodnight.

At school, people had 1D-emblazoned pencil cases, water bottles, keyrings, iPod cases and lunch boxes.

People would very seriously discuss their songs, which band member was the dreamiest and the potential hidden meanings in their lyrics.

It impossible to overstate how popular 1D was. Picture: Getty Images for Sony Pictures

One Direction culture was inevitable, pervasive and infectious. It wasn’t tragic, it was just teenagers being teenagers. Whether it’s The Beatles, Backstreet Boys or Take That, boy bands have always attracted crazy fandom. It’s a fact of life.

What was so incredible was how their music and pop culture presence bled through to those who didn’t seek them out – such as myself.

I didn’t own their CDs or have their music on my iPod, but to this day I know the words to their biggest hits.

The people who pretended to hate them secretly loved belting out What Makes You Beautiful and thought their accents were cute.

The people who said they were indifferent still couldn’t help dancing to Live While We’re Young and definitely had a favourite band member.

Payne’s death has come as an enormous shock to fans around the world. Picture: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

It’s not hard to draw comparisons. Maybe you weren’t an INXS fan, but the death of Michael Hutchence made you gasp. You might have hated Nirvana, but Kurt Cobain’s death stopped you in your tracks for a moment.

I’m not comparing One Direction to these bands musically, simply analogising the shock death of a cultural figure.

Liam Payne’s death is incredibly sad, not least of which because he was only 31 and had a young child.

It punctuates the end of One Direction with a blunt full stop, forever cutting off future possibilities.

There are millions of fans today who will be reliving the joyous, ardent fandom of their earlier years and reflecting on the space between then and now.

I hope Liam’s family and friends find solace and are able to work through their grief in healthy and cathartic ways.

Originally published as Why One Direction member Liam Payne’s sudden death is so shocking to Gen Z