Former One Direction star Liam Payne tragically lost his life on Wednesday, October 16, after falling from a third-floor balcony at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The shock of his sudden death led some fans to share images on social media, claiming that cloud formations in the sky resembled Liam Payne’s distinctive arrow tattoos. One user on X (previously Twitter) expressed their sentiments with the following message:
“Hey angel, do you know the reasons why we look up to the sky?🤍🕊 #LiamPayne”
Liam Payne’s Initial Tattoo: A Cross on His Ankle
The shocking news of Liam Payne’s passing reignited interest in his numerous tattoos and their meanings. In a 2019 interview with GQ, he elaborated on the stories behind his body art, starting with his chevron tattoo on his forearm, which features four inverted Vs or arrows.
Payne humorously recounted that he was intoxicated when he got this tattoo, dubbing it “one of the best mistakes”he ever made. His very first ink was a small cross on his ankles, which he got as a way to gauge the sensation of tattooing.
In a 2013 discussion with ABC’s Nightline, he mentioned that this tattoo was done just a day after he officially joined One Direction, and it was a common practice among the band members—except for Niall Horan. Regarding its significance, he shared with GQ:
“Screw your legs to your feet to keep you grounded or whatever—something stupid.”
After his ankle tattoos, he later had the phrase ‘Everything I wanted but nothing I’ll ever need‘ inked on his left arm. He revealed that he received this tattoo during a poignant time when he had started to lose friends amidst his rising fame. He noted that while he initially sought something profound and significant, he ended up accumulating “nice pictures”instead because he appreciated the artistry.
Payne also mentioned having a “dad joke tattoo”on his right wrist that reads ‘Only time will tell‘, located opposite from where he wears his watch. As he ran low on inspiration for new tattoos, the One Direction member simply began adorning his body with “random bits”of ink. This included his initials on each thumb, roses on his left hand, an eagle with an empty banner on his left hand, a tattoo of 29, representing his birth date on his right hand, and Egyptian Hieroglyphics on his left forearm.
One notable tattoo was a skull design accompanied by the phrase “We are the quiet ones“on his left arm, which he got during his time in One Direction, amidst “loads of animosity”within the band. He described this as an “angsty tattoo,”reflecting the challenges the group faced without being able to express their feelings publicly.
One of Liam’s prominent tattoos is a large clock and gears design on his left arm, created by acclaimed tattoo artist Nikko Hurtado. Liam initially wanted the tattoo to depict the time of his birth but ended up getting it as it read at the moment—five minutes to 12. He found humor in this timing, noting:
“Five to 12 is like five minutes to lunchtime, it’s a great time of day. Or it’s five minutes to party time, another great time of day.”
On Liam’s left upper arm is his family coat of arms, which he amusingly noted resembles the Gryffindor crest from the Harry Potter series. This, too, was inked by Nikko Hurtado and was a lengthy and painful process.
Among his other meaningful tattoos is the X-Factor number inked in Roman numerals on his right arm, alongside a feathers and stars design on his forearm. The inspiration for the prominent feather tattoo stemmed from a story he read after the passing of his grandmother, regarding a boy who kept finding owl feathers. Just a day after reading the tale, Liam discovered a large feather in his own home. He then chose to get the tattoo as a tribute to her, adding stars and feathers to it along with the phrase ‘I figured it out…‘ from One Direction’s song You & I.
In his 2019 video, Liam expressed a desire to have ink across his chest, which he fulfilled last December with the phrase ‘Where dark meets light‘ tattooed in an ombre-styled gothic font at a London tattoo parlor. Tattoo artist Certified Letter Boy stated in an October 17 article by The Sun:
“It reflects Liam’s journey and the universal truth that in our darkest moments, there’s always a way back.”
Liam got this tattoo during the period he was working on his second studio album, a project that ultimately remained unfinished. Just days prior to his untimely death, multiple TikTok clips showcased Liam interacting with fans outside his hotel. One video, posted on X by Oli London on October 18, highlighted a memorable moment between Liam and a fan who credited him with saving his life.
In this touching exchange, Liam embraced the fan and took a picture together, both showcasing their matching arrow tattoos. They shared stories about other tattoos before parting with a handshake and another hug.
Liam Payne is survived by his seven-year-old son, Bear Grey, whom he shares with ex-partner Cheryl Cole, along with his parents Geoff and Karen Payne, and his elder sisters, Ruth and Nicola.
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