Following the death of Liam Payne, Bruce Springsteen has shared his thoughts on the pressures young people face in the music industry.

• READ MORE: Liam Payne 1993-2024: One Direction star who helped spark a pop phenomenon

Payne died earlier this week at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor balcony of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Since his untimely death, many have blamed the music industry, with Sharon Osbourne recently saying she let him down. “Where was this industry when you needed it?” she said. “You were just a child when you entered one of the toughest industries in the world. Who was in your corner?”

Her comments followed a statement from Katie Waissel, who attended alongside One Direction X factorand called for more “support and support of young artists”. Rebecca Ferguson, who came second in the same season of the show, also paid tribute to Payne while speaking out against the “exploitation and greed of young stars.”

Now Springsteen has shared his thoughts The Telegraph, Based on his experience in the industry, it is “not an uncommon thing” for artists to die young.

“It’s a normal thing,” he said. “It is a business that puts enormous pressure on young people. Young people do not yet have the inner ability or inner self to protect themselves from many of the things that come with success and fame. So they lose themselves in a lot of the difficult and often pain-inducing (things)… be it drugs or alcohol to relieve some of that pressure.

“I understand that very well,” he continued, adding that both he and his band “wrestled with their own issues.”

“Danny (Federici) definitely did it. You know, drugs weren't uncommon in the E Street Band. However, there was a limit – I stayed out of your business, but if I were on stage and saw that you weren't yourself, there would be a problem.”

He went on to say that he was “most proud” that “one of my friends died of natural causes.” Figures such as Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Kurt Cobain were mentioned, and Springsteen said: “People continue to fall for it. It’s a death cult.”

“It’s a racket, man,” he concluded. “That's a part of history that captivates some young people, you know, but it's that old story. Dying young – good for the record company, but what’s in it for you?”

Across the music industry, others have paid respect to Payne, including Shawn Mendes, Maggie Rogers, Robbie Williams, Rita Ora, Liam Gallagher and Victoria Canal.

Surviving One Direction members Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles issued a joint statement on Payne's death, expressing their devastation and saying they needed time to “come to terms with the loss of our brother, that we loved very much, to grieve and process.” .”