Maggie Rogers Covers One Direction's 'Night Changes' in Tribute to Liam Payne After His Death

"This week in particular, I've been thinking just how precious life is," Rogers said during her Boston show on Oct. 17

Maggie Rogers and Liam Payne
Maggie Rogers performing in 2019; Liam Payne in 2023. Photo:

Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty; Joseph Okpako/WireImage

Maggie Rogers is honoring Liam Payne and "anyone who has been touched" by One Direction's music.

The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, 30, surprised fans at her Don't Forget Me Tour stop at Boston's TD Garden on Thursday, Oct. 17 with a heartfelt cover of the boyband's hit "Night Changes" — just a day after Payne died at age 31 following a fall at his Buenos Aires, Argentina hotel.

Before her piano rendition of the song, which served as a single off One Direction's 2014 album Four, Rogers shared a special message with her fans about loss.

"This week in particular, I've been thinking just how precious life is and how quickly things can change," Rogers said in a fan-recorded clip of the on-stage moment. "I was getting ready to go to dinner last night with one of my oldest friends, Claire... and she walked into my room and told me Liam Payne had died."

"We're just about the same age," she added. "Any time a public figure, especially a musical peer, slips off, it’s really present. And I've been sending a bunch of love to my friends and my band in the last couple of days — last couple of hours. I wanted to just honor anyone who has been touched by that music or those songs."

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LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 12: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) Singer Liam Payne poses in the Studio during the MTV EMAs 2017 held at The SSE Arena, Wembley on November 12, 2017 in London, England.
Liam Payne in London in November 2017.

Gareth Cattermole/getty

Rogers then proceeded to perform a slowed-down version of the song's chorus, with her crowd singing along, before re-posting fan footage of the performance to her Instagram Story following the concert. “We’re only getting older, baby/And I’ve been thinking about it lately/Does it ever drive you crazy/Just how fast the night changes/ Everything that you’ve ever dreamed of/Disappearing when you wake up/But there’s nothing to be afraid of/Even when the night changes/It will never change me and you.”

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, Payne fell from multiple stories at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, PEOPLE confirmed. He died from multiple injuries and "internal and external" hemorrhages after falling from his hotel balcony, per a preliminary autopsy report.

Since Payne's death, "Night Changes" has appeared on multiple charts and has climbed to the No. 6 spot on Spotify's Global Top 50, with One Direction's "Story of My Life," "Perfect" and "What Makes You Beautiful" joining it on the daily update.

uis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles of One Direction attend a Photocall for the launch of their new film One Direction 'This is Us' 3D at Big Sky Studios on August 19, 2013 in London, England.
Luis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Harry Styles at the 'This is Us' photocall in London on Aug. 19, 2013.

Jo Hale/Redferns via Getty

Payne's bandmates Zayn MalikNiall Horan, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson released a joint statement on Thursday, sharing that they were "completely devastated by the news of Liam’s passing."

"In time, and when everyone is able to, there will be more to say," they wrote. "But for now, we will take some time to grieve and process the loss of our brother, who we loved dearly."

The statement ended: "The memories we shared with him will be treasured forever. For now, our thoughts are with his family, his friends, and the fans who loved him alongside us. We will miss him terribly. We love you Liam."

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