Zayn Malik shares ‘the main thing’ he always felt bad about with One Direction

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Zayn Malik has looked back on his time in chart-topping boyband One Direction, as he prepares to release his first new solo album in three years.

The British musician, 31, rose to fame in 2010 while appearing on reality contest The X Factor, after he was paired up with fellow contestants Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne. Despite not winning that year’s series, One Direction became a global sensation, embarking on global tours and releasing a string of Top 10 albums.

Malik made headlines when he announced his shock departure from the group in 2015; One Direction announced an indefinite hiatus the following year.

In an interview with The Zach Sang Show, Malik expressed regret at not appreciating his time in the group.

“The main thing that I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough,” he told host Zach Song.

“I feel like I just took things too seriously. I’m grateful that I’m able to be happier now. I can actually enjoy things and own my own perspective a bit. Like, glass half full versus it being half empty. That’s my choice.”

He confessed that he had “this teen angst thing going on... chip on my shoulder. I’m like, ‘It’s really cool to be moody as f*** all the time.’ It’s not. You’re just a loser. Let’s be honest, you know what I mean?”

While Malik has shared mixed feelings about One Direction’s music in the past, he told Song that he felt they made “some good music as a band. We were pretty good.”

His forthcoming album, Room Under the Stairs, is his first new LP since 2021’s Nobody is Listening. The release date (17 May) will also mark Malik’s return to live shows for the first time since he quit One Direction.

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He ended up cancelling what would have been his debut solo appearance in June 2016, citing “the worst anxiety” of his career. He has not toured live in support of any of his previous solo albums.

In an interview with The Big Issue last month, Malik spoke of how his upbringing in Bradford, Yorkshire, has “heavily influenced” his life.

“I always initially knew how much Bradford had influenced me, even when I came to London,” Malik, who currently resides on a farm in Pennsylvania, US, said.

“I was instantly introduced to many different characters that I had not come across before and quickly realised that my personality and the way I am is very northern.

“Now as a 31-year-old man, after living in America for 10 years, I’ve definitely come to terms with the fact that I’m a very northern man, which heavily influences my personality and decision-making on a daily basis.”