For Gen Z and millennials who grew up alongside the British boyband One Direction, the death of singer Liam Payne is especially devastating. Even for those who were not "Directioners," Payne's death comes as an overwhelming shock and feels like the first major collective loss for our generation.

Liam Payne, a former member of the boyband One Direction, has died after falling from the third floor of a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, according to local police. Payne, who was 31, leaves behind his seven-year-old son,

Hours after news broke that Payne had fallen from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, his fans and collaborators shared their shock and grief.