Zayn Malik discusses his solo career, One Direction and Simon Cowell in his feature in Sunday Times Culture.
Much has happened since Zayn Malik decided to leave One Direction last March. The singer says that he has worked and worked on his first solo album, which is expected to be released in March of this year. Malik describes his upcoming album as a “savvy mix between pop and dirty R&B”. In his interview with Sunday Times Culture, he says that he will “let people know what’s really going on. I don’t want to make it black and white for people. I just want it to be creative, still, and artistic.”
In the article, the journalist, Louis Wise, spends a major part on describing Malik. He is illustrated as being dressed in black jeans, black boots and topless, he’s strumming a guitar, followed by smoking something that is “joint-like”. His personality is also described as polite, but chatty, giggly, surly and cocky – just how we imagined him to be! Many seem to think that Malik doesn’t care about what’s going on around him, which is so far from the truth. About this, Malik says:
“Sometimes it may come across like I’m not enjoying it. I think that’s just my attitude. I’m just laid-back, a bit chilled. But I’m always enjoying myself, I promise.”
And not enjoying himself is exactly why Malik chose to leave One Direction. He found himself bored and not liking the product he was selling. He says that One Direction represented two phases for him, “getting to grips with the madness of it all, and then unlocking himself from the band’s grip.” It’s understandable that he chose to remove himself from a situation he didn’t feel good in. However, it is not a secret that the way he did it caused some tension between himself and his former bandmates. He recently revealed that he hadn’t really spoken to any of the four other boys since he left, except one phone call with Liam Payne. In Sunday Times Culture, he says that since that revelation he has received an e-mail from an unnamed band member. Malik seems like he’s not really upset about it and he mentions that he hopes they’re still friends. He even mentions that he may be open to a possible future reunion. He says, “I don’t know. If the time was right and that was the thing to do, then I would make that decision when it came around.”
The interview also touches on the subject of Simon Cowell, Malik’s former boss and mentor. When Malik first chose to leave One Direction, it seemed like Cowell was still on his side and speaking highly of him, maybe in the hopes of Malik signing a contract with him. Malik, however, chose to sign a deal with Syco’s competition RCA Records. Since then, the relationship between the singer and the music mogul has been almost non-existing. Malik even revealed how overworked they were in One Direction, something that Cowell most likely didn’t want to get out. In his interview, Malik was asked if his former boss helped to get him his solo deal. The answer was, “I can’t clarify anything, I don’t know.” When asked if they’re still in contact, his answer is just a smirk. Louis Wise says that he doesn’t get it, and Malik answers, “I don’t get it, either. You can say that. I don’t know what happened.”
Zayn Malik’s first solo television appearance will be on the Graham Norton Show on Friday, January 29. On the same day, his first single Pillow Talk will be released. The music video is set to premiere on MTV the same night at 7:05 PM (EST).
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