It’s no surprise that the devastating and utterly tragic news of Liam Payne’s death at the age of 31 is hitting so many of us so hard, says Robbie James
Let yourself feel something about it. One Direction were unbelievably famous. For so many young people they’ll be the first ever real band that they got into. No one had touched the obsession space in the same way the Beatles had until Harry, Louis, Niall, Zayn, of course Liam came along. They were instantly our biggest export, instantly figures that teenagers wanted to be, or be with. They brought back the ‘mania’.
Monday mornings were bearable when they were on X Factor. Playgrounds would be full of pupils listening to 1D, talking 1D, and of course watching 1D. There’ll be thousands of parents whose lives have been affected by the band. Story of My Life or Best Song Ever (which by the way I am convinced is one of the great modern day pop songs) will’ve soundtracked millions of minutes worth of car journeys. Tours will have been attended. Merchandise will have been purchased. Sons and daughter’s emotions will have revolved around what the band were up to.
X Factor had a remarkable ability to hook our attention onto the lives of these up and coming singers and bands, and to do it quickly. Many will remember Liam’s stuttered beginning, a failed audition first time round in Birmingham, followed by a successful second, and the creation of One Direction by Simon Cowell. By this point Liam was 16; an age inconceivable to become quite so famous.
2010 was the year where One Direction’s X Factor journey took place. They came third in the contest, but with all respect to eventual winner Matt Cardle, they won the competition forever. Facebook and Twitter were just beginning to rear their heads, and therefore so were the friendships that so many people will’ve formed, all built on the foundations of a love for one particular group. This will hurt for a lot of people in the coming days and weeks.
While we loved to craze over their music and journey, I think they also had a lot of our sympathies. Think back to when you were in your mid teens – how many different things did you have going on in your brain? Seventy eight thousand? Yeah, same. The level of fame they were plunged into must’ve been completely bizarre, for better or for worse.
It’s a strange feeling to grapple with when a famous person who you’ve followed dies. You don’t know them like their friends and family do, but you feel like you know them.
These parasocial relationships that develop through social media can not only mean that the death of a ‘famous’ affects you more than you’d maybe expect, but it also reminds us of grief we’ve experienced from within our own bubbles.
Regardless of whether you’re a 1D fan, or a Liam Payne fan, the news has been unavoidable. Naturally, talk of death, mental health and grief can all unearth memories and traumas and sufferings that we may have gone through, or are going through now – so if you find yourself unexpectedly rocked by the news, please don’t beat yourself up; whack on What Makes You Beautiful and properly sing it, like really sing it. They were and always will be one of the great groups.
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