Zayn Malik Finally Breaks Silence About One Direction: 'It's Just Not The Way I Am'

Zayn Malik left One Direction in 2015 to be a "normal 22-year-old," but what was the real reason?

The singer appeared on Alex Cooper's "Call Her Daddy" podcast to dish out the truth behind his abrupt departure from One Direction.

"They just said, 'Oh yeah, you can be the mysterious one,'" Malik recalled the early days when One Direction was fresh out of the "X Factor." "That wasn't necessarily my personality, I'm just chill.

"I know that a lot of people have high-energy personalities, and it's just not the way I am," he added.

It has been eight years since Malik left the group, and since then, he has released three studio albums but has never really discussed anything related to One Direction.

Malik admitted that it is rooted in his anxiety and past experience with being in the group.

"I feel like we were so overexposed in the band that that's why I took the time that I have to not even necessarily do interviews," the "Pillow Talk" singer explained.

Zayn Malik Gears Up for a New Era

After announcing that he will be releasing new music later this month, Malik is slowly stepping back into the spotlight and reclaiming his control over his anxiety.

The "Entertainer" singer will be releasing a new single, "Love Like This," on July 21; and while there are no announcements of an album yet, fans are already hopeful.

"That's why I'm even doing this interview, you know?" The singer said. "I used to get a lot of anxiety around having a conversation like this. And I want her to be able to look at me and be like, 'Yo, my dad's doing this.'"

Malik is referring to his daughter, Khaie, noting that he wants to set a good example for her.

He shares the two-year-old child with his ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, and despite their break up due to an alleged altercation between Malik and Hadid's mother Yolanda back in 2021, the former couple is making things work by co-parenting.

Why Zayn Malik Left One Direction

Despite all the questions and mystery of why Malik really left One Direction, it seems like what happened between them and their management will remain an untold story.

"I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight," read the statement released by Malik when he departed the group.

Tags

Zayn Malik, One Direction