Zayn Malik has spoken about his reasons for quitting One Direction in his first interview in six years.
The singer split from his fellow bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson in 2015, saying at the time that he was quitting in an attempt to be a “normal” 22-year-old.
Malik, now 30, spoke to Alex Cooper on the latest episode of her popular podcast, Call Her Daddy, released today (12 July).
“I don’t want to go into too much detail,” he said, “but I knew for a minute there was a lot of politics, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts and I knew something was happening so I was like I’ll just get ahead of the curb and get out of here, I think this is done.”
He continued: “I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record. I jumped the gun and when it comes to my music I’m serious and competitive and I wanted to be the first to do that.
“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.”
Malik said “there were obviously underlying issues within our friendships too – we’d got sick of each other if I’m being completely honest”.
He added: “We had been together nearly every day for five years. We were close and got to do crazy things together that no one else in the world will ever understand. I look back now in a much fonder light than when I first left. It just ran its course.”
Malik said his two-year-old daughter Khaie, who he shares with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, was his inspiration for doing the interview.
“Since I’ve had my daughter, the main thing in my mind is trying to be a good example to her,” he said.
Alex Cooper and Zayn Malik— (Call Her Daddy)
“That’s why I’m even doing this interview, you know? 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.’”
In October 2021, one year after Khaie was born, Hadid and Malik ended their on-and-off relationship of six years. Their split came after rumours emerged of an alleged altercation between Malik and Hadid’s mother, Yolanda Hadid, on 29 September 2021.
Malik vehemently denied the allegations in a statement to TMZ at the time, and “declined” to give any further details about the incident “for the sake of my daughter”.
He was the first member of One Direction to quit the band, which was created by Simon Cowell on The X Factor.
Malik found commercial success in his solo career after shifting to a more alternative R&B style. His first solo studio album, Mind of Mine (2016), and its lead single, “Pillowtalk”, made him the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US.
His new single, “Love Like This,” is slated for a 21 July release.
