Liam Payne shared a haunting final post just minutes before his tragic death at age 31.
The singer rose to global fame after joining the boy band One Direction, who went on an indefinite hiatus in 2016.
After leaving the best-selling boy group, Payne had a successful solo career – selling over 18 million singles in under three years and accumulating over 3.9 billion career streams in this span.
His most popular track was ‘Strip That Down,’ which reached number ten on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.
The pop star welcomed a son, Bear Grey Payne, with ex-girlfriend and former Girls Aloud member Cheryl Tweedy in 2017.
Fans worldwide have been left in shock after hearing the tragic news of Payne’s death.
After hearing of the singer’s passing, fans have taken to social media and paid tribute.
“He helped shape a new generation of music and was part of one of the biggest bands in musical history. His influence has reached all ends of the globe,” one fan writes. “Rest in peace to a real legend.”
Another adds: “I’m heartbroken to hear about Liam Payne’s tragic passing. Such a young talent gone too soon – his music will be deeply missed.”
A third person says: “Liam’s passing is a great loss. He left an indelible mark on so many lives, and I’m thinking of all who are mourning today. May his memory be a source of comfort.”
“There’s been so many young lives lost lately, but this news really shook me. Especially when you’ve witnessed someone grow from strength to strength at a young age,” comments someone else. “This really puts into perspective how short life can be at any moment when you least expect it.”
The One Direction star died in Argentina after falling from his hotel balcony on Wednesday, October 16.
In a statement to AP News, Pablo Policicchio, the spokesperson for the Security Ministry of Buenos Aires municipality, said police were dispatched to the site in response to an emergency call about an ‘aggressive man who could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.’
The singer’s fall reportedly resulted in ‘extremely serious injuries.’
Alberto Crescenti, head of the state emergency medical system, says authorities are investigating the circumstances around Payne’s death and will conduct an autopsy.
It’s currently unclear whether the fall was intentional or accidental.
Payne was in Argentina to attend the concert of his former bandmate, Niall Horan.
The tragedy is even more heartbreaking as the singer’s final social media began to circulate online.
Payne’s final Snapchat post was uploaded just minutes before his tragic death, showing him happily posing with his Texan model girlfriend Kate Cassidy as they stood in front of a mirror, per MailOnline.
Within an hour of local news reporting his passing, footage of him eating breakfast with Cassidy was also uploaded, reports The Sun.
The footage shows Payne saying: “This is the breakfast table, just enjoying breakfast and coffee even though it’s 1 p.m.”
Cassidy can be heard in the background joking the pair are ‘losers’ for laying in so late.
Payne adds: “Today, we ride. I think I’m going to be playing polo again, which is going to put me out of action for about six weeks.
“Honestly, polo, out of everything I’ve ever done sports-wise, not that I’m taking up polo professionally, by the way, I’m just like, I had a go for some fun.
“It’s so hard to do, number one. Number two, my back and my neck from swinging that hammer around, or mallet, I think it’s called, if you’re in the know, it’s polo language.”
More footage shows Payne recording his girlfriend and dog watching Jimmy Carr on TV, asking fans to write a caption for him.
It appears Payne wasn’t posting the videos in real-time, as Cassidy reportedly flew back to her home state of Florida on October 14.
In a vlog, the model told followers she ‘was so ready to leave’ and excited to be back in her own bed.
Page Six reports that shortly after news broke of Payne’s death, the videos were removed from his main Snap stories and archived under the ‘Spotlight’ tab under his account.