In a very rare occurrence, Zayn Malik gave his first official interview in six years when he appeared on the popular Call Her Daddy podcast. The notoriously private “Pillowtalk” singer’s candor was lauded by fans, as he discussed why he left One Direction back in 2015 and gave details on his upcoming music.
Malik also spoke of how fatherhood “saved him,” his love for his 2-year-old daughter Khai (whom he shares with ex Gigi Hadid), his pets and more. The X Factor alum’s interview with podcast host Alex Cooper quickly went viral after it was shared on July 12, 2023.
View this post on Instagram
Zayn Malik Sits Down For Rare Interview And Candid Conversation About Leaving One Direction
On March 25, 2015, One Direction fans had a devastating day as Malik left the band, but in his recent interview, he revealed that someone else would have made the same decision if he hadn’t. This showed his belief that his departure was inevitable for the five-member group.
“There was a lot of … look, I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on,” Malik told Cooper during the podcast episode, careful not to mention his ex-bandmates Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson by name.
“Certain people were doing certain things, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening. So I just got ahead of the curve,” he went on. The father of one added: “If I’m being honest with you, I was like, ‘I’m just going to get out of here.’”
He continued: "I think this is done and I just seen it, 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’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."
Malik (who just released a new danceable single titled "Love Like This" on July 21) added that he and Styles, Payne, Horan and Tomlinson had felt tired of one another after years of performing and touring together. "We’ve been together every day for five years and we’ve got sick of each other, if I’m being completely honest," he admitted.
The "I Don't Wanna Live Forever" hitmaker reflected on his time in the band, and noted that he has many positive takeaways years after leaving it. "We were close. We done crazy things with each other that nobody else in the world will ever understand or have those experiences that we’ve shared with each other, and I look back on it now in a much fonder light than I would’ve as I just left," Malik said.
He concluded: "There were great experiences, I had great times with them, but yeah, we just run our course." In the days since the interview dropped, fans on Twitter have noted that they "appreciated Zayn's honesty" and "liked hearing why he left," directly from the source.
