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Niall Horan is still navigating the "surreal" reality of Liam Payne's death, more than a year and a half since his tragic passing.
The "Dinner Party" singer, 32, recently spoke to The Times UK about the lingering loss of his late One Direction bandmate, who passed away in October 2024 at 31. Horan spent some time with Payne shortly before his death, and he explained why he feels grateful for one of the last memories he has of his friend, per People.
"I'm glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy," he said. "It still feels surreal. On day one I was like, 'Nah, it didn't happen.' Our friendship was a bond that was there forever even if we hadn't seen each other for a while and it's wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, he's gone."
The Irish musician, who honored his late friend and channeled his grief in his latest single "End of an Era," said that there is a "light and shade" to losing Payne, both mourning his friend while remembering fondly all the memories they made throughout the years.
"When I think of Liam's passing, there is sadness, but it also makes me laugh and smirk because of the memories we had," he said. "I'll go to places and think of something stupid in a hotel or something random that makes me laugh."
He added, "We always had good fun in Australia because we were able to get out and go to the beach. Liam wasn't too bad at surfing. I can barely swim."
Payne died October 16, 2024, after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. After sharing their initial tributes to their "brother" at the time, his 1D bandmates have opened up about his death in recent months, from Louis Tomlinson reflecting on the "impossibly difficult" loss and Harry Styles sharing that he "struggled" with the news.