Zayn Malik opens up about leaving One Direction in first interview in six years
Zayn shared the reasons behind his departure from the band
Zayn Malik has opened up about the reasons behind his exit from One Direction in his first interview in six years. The 30-year-old appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast, where he opened up about his time in the band alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne.
Speaking about his decision to leave One Direction back in 2015, Zayn revealed that other members of the band didn't want to sign contracts, leading him to question his future with the group.
He explained: "I knew something was happening, so I just got ahead of the curve. I was like, 'I'm just going to get out of here, I think this is done.'
"I just seen it coming and I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record. If I'm being completely honest with you, I was like, 'I'm going to jump the gun here'.
"I'm a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I'm serious about it and I'm competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason."
Zayn also shared that there were underlying tensions within the band, but that they had enjoyed plenty of memorable moments together. He added: "There was obviously underlying issues within our friendships, too. We'd got sick of each other if I'm being completely honest.
"We were close, you know? We'd done crazy things with each other that nobody else in the world will ever understand and I look back on it now in a much fonder light than I would have when I'd just left.
"There were great experiences, I had great times with them, but we'd just run our course."
In the interview, the 30-year-old also opened up about his bond with his daughter Khai, who he shares with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid. Explaining how fatherhood has changed his perspective on life, Zayn said: "When I'm with her, I don't work at all.
"I just spend a full day with her doing things that she wants to do, like painting, Play-Doh… go to the park, go to the theme park, go to the zoo.
"I feel like I've rekindled my own childhood through her, you know?
"I feel like we get to a certain point in adult life where everything's kind of vague and grey and boring, and she's brought that colour back for me."
The interview comes after Zayn teased the release of new music after dropping hints that he's been working on his fourth album.
Take a look at One Direction through the years:
2010: One Direction were born on The X Factor
One Direction formed on The X Factor in 2010. Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik auditioned as individual contestants and were put together as a group by Simon Cowell and guest judge Nicole Scherzinger.
2010: One Direction finish in third place on The X Factor
Despite racking up an army of fans during their time on the show, One Direction didn't win The X Factor. Instead they finished in third place behind Rebecca Ferguson and winner Matt Cardle.
2011: One Direction release first single 'What Makes You Beautiful'
After landing a record deal following their appearance on The X Factor, One Direction released their first ever single 'What Makes You Beautiful' in September 2011.
The single, which hit the Number 1 spot in the UK charts, served as the lead single from their debut album 'Up All Night'.
2011: One Direction release their debut album 'Up All Night'
The 1D boys recorded their debut album in the UK, America and Sweden, releasing 'Up All Night' in November 2011 in the UK and Ireland.
The album featured lead single 'What Makes You Beautiful', as well as future singles, 'Gotta Be You' and 'One Thing'.
2011: One Direction return to The X Factor
After a successful year in the music industry, One Direction returned to the show that made them famous, to perform their single 'Gotta Be You'.
2011-2012: The Up All Night Tour
Following the success of their debut album, One Direction kicked off their 'The Up All Night Tour' in December 2011, going on to play 54 dates across the UK, Ireland, Oceania and North America.
The tour was an instant success, with tickets for all dates selling out within a matter of minutes of going on sale. The tour was later turned into a DVD, titled Up All Night: The Live Tour.
2012: One Direction release second album 'Take Me Home'
One Direction didn't wait long before they released their second studio album! Titled 'Take Me Home', the boys dropped the album in November 2012, with it going on to top the charts in 35 countries!
'Take Me Home' featured singles such as 'Live While We're Young', 'Kiss You' and 'Little Things'.
2012: One Direction win their first ever BRIT Award
2012 was a great year for One Direction! The band picked up their first ever BRIT Award in the British Single category, for their debut single 'What Makes You Beautiful'.
The band beat the likes of Adele, Ed Sheeran, JLS and Olly Murs to pick up the gong, which became the first of seven for the band over the years.
2012: One Direction launch their own dolls
As if dominating the charts wasn't enough, the One Direction boys teamed up with Hasbro in 2012 to launch their very own range of plastic dolls.
2013: The Take Me Home Tour
After the worldwide success of their debut tour, One Direction went on their 'Take Me Home' tour in 2013, playing at sold-out shows in countries like England, China, Australia and America.
2013: One Direction: This Is Us
Whilst touring the world with the 'Take Me Home' tour in 2013, One Direction released a 3D-documentary film about their time on the road, titled One Direction: This Is Us.
The film, which showed clips of the boys on stage and behind the scenes, grossed $68 million worldwide.
2013: One Direction release their third album 'Midnight Memories'
Just weeks after finishing their massive 'Take Me Home' tour, One Direction dropped their third studio album, titled 'Midnight Memories'.
The album flew straight to Number 1 in both the UK and the US, becoming the fastest selling album of 2013, despite being released just a few weeks before 2014.
The record featured the singles, 'Best Song Ever', 'Story of My Life', 'Midnight Memories', and 'You & I'.
2013: One Direction release charity single for Comic Relief
The One Direction boys did their bit for charity in 2013, mashing-up a medley of Blondie's 'One Way or Another' and The Undertones' 'Teenage Kicks'.
The track titled 'One Way Or Another (Teenage Kicks)' was released as the official Red Nose Day single in 2013, with then Prime Minister David Cameron even making a cameo appearance in the music video.
2013: One Direction land in Madame Tussauds
In 2013, One Direction become the first boy band to be created into waxworks for Madame Tussauds London since The Beatles' figures in 1964.
The waxworks were one of the museum's most popular instalments of the last decade, and we can see why!
2014: The Where We Are Tour
Following on from their mammoth 2013 tour, the 1D boys went back out on the road in 2014, this time with their 'Where We Are Tour'.
Playing at sold-out dates across the world, the tour ran between April and October, with the boys performing at 69 shows in total.
The tour was the band's biggest to date, with over 3,439,560 million fans turning up to see their idols perform.
2014: One Direction release their fourth album
Released in November 2014, One Direction released their final album as a five-piece, titled 'Four'.
The album, which featured hits like 'Steal My Girl' and 'Stockholm Syndrome', debuted at Number 1 in a massive 18 countries!
2015: One Direction kick off their On The Road Again Tour
In February 2015, Harry, Zayn, Liam, Louis and Niall kicked off their fourth tour, titled 'On The Road Again'. The tour, which turned out to be their last as a band of five, grossed $208 million from 80 shows.
2015: Zayn announces he's leaving
Zayn Malik broke the hearts of many One Direction fans in March 2015, announcing he was leaving the popular group.
One Direction said in a statement at the time, "After five incredible years Zayn Malik has decided to leave One Direction. Niall, Harry, Liam and Louis will continue as a four-piece and look forward to the forthcoming concerts of their world tour and recording their fifth album, due to be released later this year."
2015: One Direction continues as a group of four
Harry, Louis, Niall and Liam continued One Direction as a four-piece, finishing their 'On The Road Again' tour in October 2015.
2015: One Direction release their final album
The One Direction boys dropped their first album as a four-piece in November 2015, titled 'Made In The A.M.'
The album, which turned out to be the band's last, featured singles like 'Drag Me Down', 'Perfect' and 'History', and went on to be the sixth best-selling album of 2015.
2015: One Direction announce their hiatus
Much to the heartbreak of fans across the world, One Direction announced they would be taking an extended hiatus, which would start in 2016.
2015: One Direction return to The X Factor for a final time
After confirming they were set to take a break, Harry, Louis, Liam and Niall performed at The X Factor final in December 2015, leaving fans in tears as they performed 'History'.
Simon Cowell thanked the band for their hard work over the years, expressing his admiration for the group.
2016: One Direction start their hiatus
Following their final televised performance on Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve on 31st December 2015, the One Direction boys went their separate ways, all going on to release solo music.
2016: Louis Tomlinson becomes a dad
In January 2016, Louis announced the birth of his son Freddie Reign Tomlinson with his ex-girlfriend Brianne Jungwirth.
The singer uploaded this cute photo to his Instagram page and wrote on Twitter, 'I'm pleased to say my baby son was born yesterday :) He is healthy and pretty amazing :) I'm very happy!!'. (sic)
'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' with Zayn - 2017
This track was recorded for the soundtrack to 'Fifty Shades Darker', it was the most popular hit from the movie franchise.
Listen to 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' on YouTube.
2016: Niall Horan releases his debut solo single 'This Town'
Niall delighted One Direction fans in September 2016 when he dropped his debut solo single 'This Town'. The track was the lead single from his debut album 'Flicker' which was released in 2017.
The singer went on to release hits such as 'Slow Hands' and 'Nice To Meet Ya', before dropping his second solo album, titled 'Heartbreak Weather' in March 2020.
2016: Louis Tomlinson teams up with Steve Aoki
Louis teamed up with American DJ Steve Aoki to release his debut solo single 'Just Hold On' in December 2016. Just days after the tragic death of his mum Johannah Deakin, Louis gave an emotional performance of the track on The X Factor.
The singer went on to release hits like 'Miss You', 'Back To You' and 'We Made It', before dropping his debut solo album 'Walls' in January 2020.
2017: One Direction win their seventh BRIT Award
Despite being on a hiatus, Liam and Louis attended the 2017 BRIT Awards to collect the band's seventh BRIT Award! The band picked up an award in the Best Video category for their single 'History'.
2017: Liam Payne becomes a dad
In March 2017, after one of the most secretive pregnancies ever, Liam announced he'd become a dad after his then girlfriend Cheryl Cole had given birth to a baby boy called Bear Grey Payne.
The couple split in 2018.
2017: Harry Styles releases debut solo music
After much anticipation, in April 2017 Harry released his debut solo single 'Sign Of The Times', showing a complete different sound to One Direction.
The singer went on to release his self-titled debut album in the same year, before dropping his second album 'Fine Line' in 2019.
In May 2020, Harry excited fans by releasing the amazing music video for his latest single 'Watermelon Sugar'.
2017: Liam Payne kicked off his solo career
Liam dropped his debut solo single 'Strip That Down' in 2017, before going on to release hits like 'Get Low', 'For You' and 'Bedroom Floor'.
Despite making fans wait, Liam went on to drop his debut solo album 'LP1' in December 2019, before teaming up with Alesso for the single 'Midnight' in 2020.
2017: Harry Styles made his acting debut
After releasing his debut solo music, Harry also landed a role in Christopher Nolan's box office movie Dunkirk!
Harry played the role of a young solider called Alex, as hundreds of thousands of soldiers tried to evacuate from Dunkirk beach during the early stages of World War II.
2020: Zayn Malik announces he's going to become a dad
After years of dating on and off, in 2020 American model Gigi Hadid announced she was expecting her first child with former 1D singer Zayn Malik! They welcomed a baby girl called Khai in September 2020, before splitting in October 2021.
2020: One Direction reunion rumours
After years of working on their solo careers, rumours of a One Direction reunion really started to become more frequent in 2020, as the boys celebrate their 10th year anniversary.
Despite a number of the lads teasing the possibility of a 1D reunion, it didn't materialise.
2022: One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' music video reaches 1 billion views
In May 2022, One Direction's 'Drag Me Down' music video reached 1 billion views on YouTube. The song was originally released in 2015, it was the first music video to not feature former member Zayn Malik, who had left earlier that year.
2023: One Direction's 'What Makes You Beautiful' reaches 1 billion streams
'What Makes You Beautiful' was the debut song released by One Direction back in 2011 and in August it reached 1 billion streams. It has already surpassed 1 billion views for the music video on YouTube.
2023: Harry thanks Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn as he collects four BRIT Awards
At The BRIT Awards 2023 with Mastercard, Harry won all four awards he was nominated for, taking home the awards for Pop/R&B Act, Artist of the Year, Song of The Year ('As It Was'), and Album of the Year (Harry's House).
He said in one of his acceptance speeches: "Thank you again, I'm going to start by thanking my family for being the most supportive, understanding, patient, loving family I could have ever asked for. I want to thank my mum for signing me up for X Factor without telling me, so I literally wouldn't be here without you.
"I want to thank Niall, Louis, Liam and Zayn, thank you so much. I'm really really grateful and I'm very aware of my privilege up here tonight, so this award is for Rina, Charlie, Florence, Mabel and Becky. Thank you so much."
2024: Liam releases new single 'Teardrops'
Liam delighted fans in February 2024 by releasing a new single called 'Teardrops'. This came after Liam previously teased new music on his Instagram page.
Shortly after its release, Liam also shared an acoustic version on his Insta page.
February 2024: Niall takes 'The Show' live on tour
Niall began a massive world tour entitled 'The Show Live On Tour', which included several UK dates. Due to popular demand, extra dates were added.
June 2024: Louis Tomlinson's live streams final stadium show of back-to-back world tours
Louis Tomlinson became the first male solo artist to headline the home of the Mexican F1 Grand Prix, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
For one night only, Louis took to the stage in Mexico, performing his last stadium show of his 'Faith In The Future World Tour', ending his two back-to-back world tours.
October 2024: Tributes pour in for the late Liam Payne
There was heartbreaking news on Wednesday 16th October, announcing that Liam Payne had sadly died at the age of 31. It was reported that the singer died after falling from a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Our thoughts are with all those affected by the saddening news.
Following the tragic news breaking, tributes began to pour in for the late singer, including messages from Dermot O'Leary, Olly Murs, and Rylan Clark. From fellow celebs who worked with Liam, including the likes of Zedd, Charlie Puth and Cher Lloyd, who was on the same series of The X Factor as Liam.
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