Zayn Malik is postponing his US Tour following the death of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne

In a post shared to social media, Zayn Malik announced that he would be postponing the US leg of his current 'Stairway to the Sky Tour'. The news likely comes as no surprise to fans of Zayn and his music, in light of the death of his former One Direction bandmate, Liam Payne.

Payne tragically passed away on October 16 after falling from his hotel balcony while in Argentina. He leaves behind his young son Bear, as well as his parents and sister.

Following the news of his death, his former bandmates all took to social media to share their heartbreak over this loss, with Zayn sharing a moving post featuring a picture of Liam hugging him back during their One Direction days. In a message shared with the picture, Zayn shared that he was "beyond devasted" by loss of his friend, while also saying that, "I lost a brother when you left us and can't explain to you what I'd give to just give you a hug one last time."

Zayn Malik postpones the US leg of his tour following the death of Liam Payne

Considering how close the two were and the fact that this loss is so fresh, it makes sense that Zayn would need time before he could get back on stage to perform. And as he pointed out in his post on X (formerly Twitter), the dates will be rescheduled for the fans.

"Given the heartbreaking loss experienced this week, I’ve made the decision to postpone the US leg of the STAIRWAY TO THE SKY Tour. The dates are being rescheduled for January and I’ll post them as soon as it’s all set in the next few days. Your tickets will remain valid for the new dates. Love you all and thank you for your understanding."

- Zayn Malik on X

We can't imagine the pain that Liam Payne's family and friends are feeling following this unexpected tragedy, and we don't blame Zayn for needing to postpone his tour and prioritize himself and his mental health.