The key facts

  • Harry Styles debuted the song What Is Enough at his residency at Madison Square Garden
  • The performance took place on the second anniversary of Liam Payne's death
  • Styles called Payne a friend without whom he could not have achieved success

Premiere of a Song in Memory of a Friend

Harry Styles performed the previously unreleased song What Is Enough, written in memory of his former One Direction bandmate Liam Payne. The performance took place on Friday evening at a sold-out concert at New York's Madison Square Garden — on the second anniversary of Payne's death. The song was performed as part of Styles' residency on his Together, Together tour.

Speech Before the Performance

Under a spotlight, Styles addressed the audience with a speech. He said he feels incredibly happy performing in New York and that the venue means a great deal to him. 'There are many people in my life — friends and people I've worked with — without whom I could not have achieved this,' the artist said. 'And two years ago today, I lost one of those friends.' The crowd responded with applause.

A Call to Care for One Another

Wearing a royal blue jumper with a red collar, Styles urged fans to support one another: 'I'm sure many of you have experienced something like this. I hope you haven't. But really it comes down to caring for each other.' He also noted that there had been 'many more people who influenced his life in a special way,' and thanked those who helped him reach his current success.

Performance and Fan Reaction

'I'm going to play a song for you that I wrote for my friend about two years ago, if you don't mind,' Styles said, and to approving cheers began performing What Is Enough on guitar with melodic accompaniment from the band. The audience heard this emotional and reflective track for the first time. On Instagram, fans described the song as 'beautiful'.

Context

Liam Payne died two years ago after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina. Styles began his solo career in 2017 after achieving worldwide fame as part of One Direction. His debut album and single topped the UK chart, and his 2022 album Harry's House won Grammy and Brit Awards.

Harry Styles wears a light blue patterned shirt with a grey, white and black striped tie. He has short brown hair and an earpiece and can be seen looking out towards the crowd.Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,

The pop star made a moving speech to the crowd at Madison Square Garden before performing the unreleased song

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Harry StylesHarry Styles smiles in front of a microphone on a stand onstage as he holds a Gibson Les Paul guitar while wearing a striped green, black and brown top, with background bokeh behind, during a gig in New York in 2022.