The death of former One Direction member Liam Payne became a heartbreaking reality for many One Direction fans three weeks ago. Fans at UT came together to celebrate his music and cherish the memories that defined their childhoods.
Sophomore marketing student and One Direction fan Mckenna Sefcik recalls listening to the band’s music after their breakup in 2016.
“I remember when I was younger … I was at my grandparent’s house with my cousin, and I remember her showing me one of their singles,” Mckenna said. “It was just one of those moments where it meant nothing to me at the time … but looking back I didn’t know that I was witnessing the precipice of something so great.”
Mckenna heard the news about the singer’s death at the Texas Union through a text sent by her roommate. The two met for the first time at a Louis Tomlinson concert, another former One Direction member.
“The news started going around on (X), and it was at the point when it was still the Argentinian news outlets reporting it, so (I thought) it might just be a rumor,” Mckenna said. “Then I clicked on (X) and I saw that TMZ had reported it. That was when reality kind of started setting in.”
Mckenna said she feels like she is mourning part of her childhood.
“I think that’s the most heartbreaking thing about it,” Mckenna said. “It’s this person that was such a light for many when we were younger.”
Sophomore mechanical engineering student Victoria Espinoza said that her love for the band brought her a sense of community with other One Direction fans, who refer to themselves as Directioners.
“When Liam Payne died, I reached out to friends I haven’t talked to in years just to … see how they were doing,” Victoria said. “(Being a fan) was something that we all went through together, and it was a memory that I’ll always have with them.”
Victoria was sitting at her desk at home when a friend texted her about Liam’s passing.
“My first reaction was that I had to call my mom to comfort me,” Victoria said. “It was a really weird feeling, and my heart rate was at like 105 (bpm) for three hours just cause I didn’t know how to handle it.”
Like Mckenna, Liam’s death left Victoria to reminisce on cherished memories from her childhood and her deep love for the band’s music.
“It’s the fact that I’ve been obsessed with him and been such a huge fan for as long as I can remember, so it’s knowing that all those memories I have with him are just memories,” Victoria said.
Liam’s death reunited Directioners as they relied on one another to mourn while sharing their love for the band and fandom. This BBC article described the scene of grieving fans consoling one another as they gathered at vigils all around the globe, leaving flowers, balloons, notes and singing One Direction songs.
“I feel like there’s this underlying understanding of, ‘Oh, you’re a fangirl. I’m a fangirl,’” Mckenna said. “(It’s) just so special because most of the people I know and I’m close to right now, we’re big One Direction fans.”
Liam Payne’s legacy and impact on the music world will forever be remembered by his millions of fans. Despite losing an important figure in the world of pop culture, the meaningful music he created in the band will continue to resonate with fans around the world.
“Most of my memories with One Direction have been … driving with my friends, screaming the lyrics at the top of our lungs,” Mckenna said. “And I really think that will continue to stay a (constant) in my life.”
