Although it didn't last long, One Direction was a
boyband
that
marked an entire generation
.
At the beginning of 2015 they were at the top and thought that their career was going to continue on the rise for a while longer.
But none of them expected that Zayn Malik, the band member who was always quiet and mysterious, was going to unexpectedly leave the group.
From there everything they had built in the last four years began to fall apart.
The announcement was made through a formal statement on the band's Facebook account, without giving too many explanations.
After Zayn's resignation,
millions of teenagers around the world were devastated,
because they knew that without him nothing would be the same (and they were right).
“I think it's the right time to leave the band... I have to do what the feelings in my heart dictate.
I'm leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old boy, who is able to relax and have private time, away from exposure," Zayn explained when leaving the group.
A few months later,
he contradicted his own speech and confused his fans with the release of his first solo album
.
There he confessed that One Direction's style did not suit him, and that his music seemed too "generic" to him, so he had decided to step aside and start his solo path.
His former bandmates Harry Styles,
Louis Tomlinson
,
Niall Horan
and
Liam Payne
tried to move on and released one last album.
But shortly afterwards they reported that the band was going to take "a break", from which they never returned.
Less than a year after releasing his first solo album, Zayn's plan to get away from the public eye was put into motion again.
The former member of One Direction became involved with model
Gigi Hadid
and, as of 2017, he stopped giving interviews and disappeared.
Nothing was heard from him in the media for years, until in 2020 he published on Instagram that he had a daughter.
And a few months later, he announced their separation from him.
Zayn Malik disappeared from the public eye in 2017, moving to the countryside and focusing on raising his daughter.
The day he told his truth
After six years without anything being heard from him, Zayn appeared at the end of 2023 on the
Call Her Daddy
podcast , to finally tell what happened to his life all this time.
According to the singer,
he sold his mansion in England and decided to move to the quiet suburbs of Pennsylvania
.
"I wanted to take a break from the city," Zayn confessed.
He told the host of the program that he grew up in Bradford, a quiet, small English city, so the fields in which he currently lives remind him of that "peaceful vibe" that he lived with in his childhood.
Zayn Malik with his ex-partner Gigi Hadid, with whom he has a daughter in common.
Living in Pennsylvania also allows her to ensure a peaceful childhood for her daughter, of whom, to date, there is no photograph.
Zayn shares custody of the minor with his ex-wife, so he spends half the month with his daughter.
"There had come a point in my adulthood where everything was gray and boring. She has brought color back," the artist said during the interview.
He also assumed that he enjoys spending time alone and in his free time he loves to draw and cook.
In his home he has many animals, thanks to the large fields he has as a garden.
Three cats, three dogs, three turtles and six chickens live there.
Regarding privacy, he assured that in Pennsylvania it is almost impossible for the press to find him, because there are state laws that do not allow photos to be taken in certain places.
This gave him the peace of mind he needed, to be able to recover his well-being and his mental health.
One Direction, the band with which Zayn Malik rose to stardom.
Photo: AP
Near the end of the interview, he surprised One Direction fans and revealed the real reasons why he left the band.
“To be honest,
I left there completely selfishly.
I wanted to be the first to make my own album
.
When it comes to music, I am very serious and competitive,” said the
Pillowtalk singer.
His mysterious reappearance on TV
After his participation in the podcast, fans waited expectantly for a comeback in the world of music and even began to dream of the artist's first solo tour.
But they never expected that, before all that came, they would see his return in front of the cameras.
Zayn Malik lives in the suburbs of Pennsylvania, away from the cameras and no one heard from him for six years.
Recently, and without making any type of announcement, Zayn Malik appeared on the
Jimmy Fallon
show .
True to his mystery boy style, he interrupted the TV show without saying a word.
In absolute silence, the British artist paused the driver's opening speech and handed him a note.
Then he pressed play on a device on the desk, which played a short preview of his new music.
With a smile, and without saying anything, he left the study.
That's when Jimmy Fallon read the former One Direction's message.
"Jimmy, look to your right. My new single,
What I Am
, comes out this Friday from my next album
Room Under The Stairs
, available May 17, I hope you check it out," said the driver, provoking wild screams from the crowd. audience.
The first preview of the album is already a success, and fans are waiting for the rest of the songs.
The big question that everyone asks is if a tour is coming, which includes Argentina.
This year two of his former bandmates,
Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan, will perform in the country
.
Will another show from a former One Direction be announced?