On October 16, the second anniversary of Liam Payne’s death, Styles debuted an unreleased song he wrote for his late One Direction bandmate. He performed it during the encore of his ongoing New York residency, and that fans were stunned.
The song is called “What Is Enough.” Styles told the crowd that two years earlier he had lost a friend, and he became visibly emotional as he spoke. He thanked the people who had touched his life in special ways and said he wouldn’t be where he is without them. He then asked the audience to look after each other, noting that many in the crowd may have been through similar losses.
Styles introduced the track by saying he wrote it for his friend about two years ago, and asked whether it was all right to play it. The performance was a stripped-back acoustic ballad with minimal accompaniment, with the lyrics addressed directly to Payne. The song has not been officially released, and there are no official lyrics yet.
The tribute came during Styles’ 30-night “Together, Together” residency at the venue, which runs until October 31. It was not his first public nod to Payne this year. According to reports, at the finale of his 12-night Wembley Stadium run, Styles named all four of his former bandmates, including “my dear friend Liam”, while Payne’s parents, sister and nephew watched from the crowd.
Payne died on October 16, 2024, at the age of 31 in Argentina. In the days that followed, Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Niall Horan shared a joint statement saying the memories they had shared with him would be treasured forever. The four then came together for the first time in nearly nine years at his funeral in the UK. Styles has also spoken in an interview about how difficult the loss has been.
For fans of the group, the surprise performance was a reminder of the band's that rose to fame together in the early 2010s from a British talent show. Videos of the moment spread quickly on social media, with many viewers calling it heartbreaking and tender.
Whether Styles will release the song officially is not yet known.