Ed Sheeran has broken his silence following the death of Liam Payne after the 31-year-old was found dead at his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday.
Sheeran, 33, burst into the spotlight around the same time as One Direction, releasing his debut album in 2011, and both acts have gone on to achieve global success.
Sheeran and One Direction may have achieved huge success separately but the Shape of You but the two acts also shared close bonds professionally.
The 33-year-old wrote four songs for the band and even penned Payne's debut solo single, Strip That Down.
Payne's death has sparked an outpouring of tributes from famous faces across the globe, including a joint statement from the band.
Band members Louis Tomlinson, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles also released individual tributes to their fellow singer - and Sheeran has followed suit.
Ed Sheeran with One Direction star Harry Styles
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Sheeran first broke his silence by reposting One Direction's statement on the death of Payne, adding a love-heart emoji to the post.
On Friday morning, Sheeran went one step further and shared a snap of Payne on his Instagram page alongside a heartfelt statement.
The A Team singer penned: "At a loss for words.
"My thoughts are with his family and loved ones, every memory I have with him is a great one, just such a heartbreaking situation. Be kind. X." (sic)
Sheeran's heartfelt words come just hours after close pal and One Direction singer Harry Styles issued an individual statement on Payne's death.
"I am truly devastated by Liam’s passing,” Styles wrote on Instagram in view of his 47.8 million followers.
He continued: “His greatest joy was making other people happy, and it was an honour to be alongside him as he did it.
“Liam lived wide open, with his heart on his sleeve, he had an energy for life that was infectious. He was warm, supportive, and incredibly loving.
"The years we spent together will forever remain among the most cherished years of my life. I will miss him always, my lovely friend."
Payne was pronounced dead at the scene of his hotel in the Argentinian capital of Buenos Aires after falling from a third-floor balcony.
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Liam Payne died after falling from his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, ArgentinaGettyPreliminary autopsy findings cite "multiple traumas" that caused "internal and external bleeding" as a cause of death.
Police arrived at the scene after hotel staff alerted police to fears of an “aggressive man who could be under the effects of drugs and alcohol”.