Zayn Malik has opened up about his time in One Direction, stating that the experience "didn't feel authentic." The Bradford-born musician, who rose to fame as part of the iconic boy band in 2010, now says he is releasing music that he would personally listen to outside of work.
Reflections on One Direction
In a recent interview on The Smallzy Show, Zayn discussed how his career path has become more authentic with age. "From an artistic perspective, always," he said when asked about being true to himself. He elaborated: "Whether you're painting, cooking, singing, you always want to be as true and authentic to yourself, that's always going to land."
Zayn acknowledged that the music he made with One Direction was not the type he would have listened to if he hadn't been in the group. "It didn't feel authentic in that sense," he admitted. However, he emphasized the importance of honesty: "I always feel like the reward of telling the truth and speaking your truth in whichever way you want to frame that, is always way more than refraining from it."
Departure from the Band
Zayn left One Direction in 2015 during a world tour, citing extreme stress and "underlying tensions" within the group. The band, formed on The X Factor after Nicole Scherzinger suggested putting Zayn, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne together, went on to become one of the most successful acts in music history.
Recent Controversy
Last week, reports surfaced alleging that Zayn struck Louis Tomlinson during an altercation, leaving him injured. A source claimed: "Zayn started acting up and was mouthing off. It spiralled into a row." The source alleged that Louis was hit when he tried to move, resulting in a punch to the face. Neither Zayn nor Louis has publicly addressed these claims.
Health and Upcoming Projects
Zayn is currently recovering after being hospitalized for an undisclosed condition. He shared an image on social media showing him in a hospital bed with a blood pressure monitor and ECG machine attached. He wrote: "To my fans - Thank you to all of you for your love & support now & always - been a long week and am still unexpectedly recovering."
He expressed heartbreak over missing scheduled promotional events for his fifth studio album, Konnakol, including a planned appearance at Banquet Records in Kingston, which has been postponed. Zayn is also set to embark on his second world tour next month.
