Louis Tomlinson called the late Liam Payne “ the most vital part of One Direction ” in a heartfelt tribute to his bandmate, who died yesterday afternoon at the age of 31. Tomlinson was the first member of the British boy band to post a reaction to Payne’s death, and you can read his full statement below.

Liam Payne died after falling multiple stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Oct. 16 Louis Tomlinson is paying tribute to his former bandmate. The singer posted in honor of his late bandmate Liam Payne on social media.

Liam was in my opinion the most vital part of One Direction,’ Louis wrote in an emotional statement about Liam.