Zain Javadd "Zayn"Malik (/ˈmælɪk/MAL-ik; born 12 January 1993) is an English singer. He auditioned as a solo contestant for the British music competition television seriesThe X Factor in 2010, where he ended up being a part of five-piece boy bandOne Direction, which went on to become one of thebest-selling boy bands of all time. He left the group in March 2015 and signed a solo recording contract withRCA Records.
Malik grew up inEast Bowling, Bradford, in a working-class family[7] and neighbourhood.[10] He attended Lower Fields Primary School and Tong High School (nowTong Leadership Academy) in Bradford.[11] As a teenager, he took performing arts courses and appeared in school productions.[12] He grew up listening to his father'surban music records, primarilyR&B,hip hop, andreggae.[10] He wroteraps when he was at school[13] and sang on stage for the first time when singerJay Sean visited his school.[14] Malik alsoboxed for two years, from ages 15 to 17.[15] Before beginning his music career, he intended to pursue an academic degree in English in hopes of becoming an English teacher.[16]
Career
2010–2015:The X Factor and One Direction
One Direction greeting fans inStockholm, Sweden, May 2012
In 2010, 17-year-old Malik auditioned inManchester for the seventh series of reality television competitionThe X Factor. On the morning of the audition, Malik became nervous and did not want to attend, but his mother eventually forced him out of bed and coaxed him into going.[17][7] He sang "Let Me Love You" byMario as his audition song and was accepted into the next round.[18] Upon auditioning forThe X Factor, Malik stated that he was "looking for an experience".[19] Despite being eliminated before the final round of the competition,[20] judgesNicole Scherzinger andSimon Cowell grouped him with fellow contestantsHarry Styles,Niall Horan,Liam Payne andLouis Tomlinson to form a new contestant for the remainder of the show, the boy band that would become known asOne Direction.[21] The group quickly gained popularity in the UK, became the last contestant eliminated on the show, and were subsequently signed by Cowell to a reported £2 millionSyco Records recording contract.[22] They signed in North America withColumbia Records.[23]
A book licensed by One Direction,One Direction: Forever Young (Our Official X Factor Story), released in February 2011 and toppedThe Sunday Times' Best Seller list.[24][25] The same month, the boy band performed for 500,000 people throughout the UK as part of theX Factor Live Tour.[26] The group's debut studio albumUp All Night was released in November 2011 in the UK and Ireland. Released internationally in March 2012, they became the firstUK group to have their debut album reach number one in the United States.[27] It topped the charts in 16 countries. The lead single, "What Makes You Beautiful", was an international commercial success, reaching number one in the UK and number four in the US; it has since been certified four and six times platinum in the US and Australia, respectively. Subsequent singles "Gotta Be You" and "One Thing" became top ten hits in the UK. Following the release of the album, the band embarked on theUp All Night Tour. Initially intended to be solely a UK tour, dates in North America and Australia were added due to demand.[28]Up All Night: The Live Tour, a video album documenting the tour, was released in May 2012. That same month, One Direction's first book to be licensed in America,Dare to Dream: Life as One Direction, was published and toppedThe New York Times Best Seller list.[29]
In September 2012, One Direction released "Live While We're Young", the lead single from their second album, and it reached the top ten in almost every country it charted in and recorded the highest one-week opening sales figure for a song by a non-US artist in the US at the time.[30] The album's second single, "Little Things", spawned the band's second number-one single in the UK.[31] One Direction's second studio album,Take Me Home, was released in November 2012.[32] The record sold 540,000 copies in its first week in the US and went to number one in 35 countries.[33][34] Reaching number one on theBillboard200, the group became the first boy band in US chart history to record two number-one albums in the same calendar year and the first group since 2008 to record two number-one albums in the same year.[33] The group headlined their second concert tour, theTake Me Home Tour, in February 2013, playing over 100 shows in Europe, North America, Oceania, and Asia. The tour was commercially successful, grossing $114 million. In August 2013, the3Ddocumentaryconcert filmOne Direction: This Is Us was released, accumulating a box office gross of $68.5 million.[35] One Direction's third book,One Direction: Where We Are: Our Band, Our Story: 100% Official, was released that same month.[36]
In November 2013, the band's third studio album,Midnight Memories, was released. It was the best-selling album worldwide in 2013, with four million copies sold globally.[37] The album's number one debut onBillboard 200 made One Direction the first band in history to have their first three albums all debut atop the chart. The album's lead single, "Best Song Ever", became the group's highest-charting single in the US to date.[38] They embarked on theWhere We Are Tour, their first all-stadium tour, in 2014; tickets sold out in minutes,[39][40] and more shows were added due to "overwhelming demand".[41] The band averaged 49,848 fans per show on the tour,[42] which grossed over $290 million and was the highest-grossing tour of 2014, the 15thhighest-grossing concert tour of all time, and remains the highest-grossing tour of all time by a vocal group.[43] In September 2014, One Direction's fourth book,One Direction: Who We Are: Our Official Autobiography, was released. The group's second concert film,One Direction: Where We Are – The Concert Film, was released in October 2014.
In November 2014, the group's fourth album,Four, was released. The album was their fourth consecutive number-one album, debuting at number one in 18 countries and selling 3.2 million copies.[44] Singles "Steal My Girl" and "Night Changes" both achieved platinum status in the US, among other countries.[45][46] In 2015, the group began theOn The Road Again Tour. On 18 March 2015, following the band's 16th show of the tour, it was announced that Malik had become overwhelmed with stress and would be absent for the remaining shows of the Asian leg of the tour.[47]
One week later, on 25 March 2015, the band announced his departure.[48] In the band's official statement, Malik cited his desire to live as a "normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight", and denied rumours of any rift between the members, explaining that they had been supportive of the decision.[49][50][51] However, in a December 2015 interview withThe Fader, Malik expressed that he was unhappy with the group's musical direction, noting that "there was never any room for me to experiment creatively in the band" and "if I would sing a hook or a verse slightly R&B, or slightly myself, it would always be recorded 50 times until there was a straight version that was pop, generic as fuck, so they could use that version".[52] In an interview given toApple Music the next month, Malik stated that "I think I always wanted to go, from like the first year" and "I never really wanted to be there, like in the band. I just gave it a go because it was there at the time ... I instantly realised it wasn't for me, because I realised I couldn't put any input in".[53]
2015–2016:Mind of Mine
In March 2015, Malik was seen at a London recording studio with producerNaughty Boy.[54] Following his departure from One Direction, Malik alluded to the potential of a solo career, with the release of his first solo studio album to be released under the Syco label in 2016.[55][56] The same month, Naughty Boy released onSoundCloud an early demo of Malik's song "I Won't Mind".[57] In June 2015, UKrapper Mic Righteous leaked Malik's "No Type", featuring Mic Righteous and produced by Naughty Boy, a cover version ofRae Sremmurd's hip hop song.[58] Malik also worked withgrime rappersKrept & Konan during this time. The material was never released after Malik parted ways with Naughty Boy.[59] Though unreleased, his work with Naughty Boy and Krept & Konan helped Malik gain a new urban audience in the UK.[60]
By July 2015, Malik announced he had signed a recording deal withRCA Records.[61] Later that year, Malik gave several interviews to discuss his debut solo studio album and revealed part of the track list. Talking withThe Fader, he stated "life experiences have been the influences for the album and just stuff that I've been through, especially in the last five years". In a conversation withBillboard, Malik's main collaborator for the albumJames "Malay" Ho said they went to unusual lengths in pursuit of inspiration during recording sessions, for one "we went camping for a week in theAngeles Forest – set up a generator and a tent so we could track in the woods."[62] In his first solo on-camera interview with Zane Lowe forApple Music's Beats 1, Malik revealedMind of Mine as the album's title.[63]
The album's lead single, "Pillowtalk", was released in January 2016. The song debuted at number one in numerous countries, including on theUK Singles Chart[64] and the USBillboard Hot 100;[65] on the latter, it became the 25th song to debut at number one, making him the first UK artist to debut at number one on the Hot 100 with a debut single.[65] The chart performance of "Pillowtalk" propelled Malik to number six on theBillboard Artist 100 chart.[66] Worldwide, he broke records for the highest first-day and weekly streams for a debut artist.[67] The album's second official single, "Like I Would", reached number one on Billboard'sDance Club Songs chart.[68] The end of February 2016 saw Malik release a remix of "Pillowtalk" featuring American rapperLil Wayne and contribute guest vocals to the remix ofChris Brown'sR&B song "Back to Sleep", which also featuredUsher.[69]
Mind of Mine was released in March 2016 and includes songs co-written by Malik, whittled down from 46 tracks he reportedly considered;[70] one of the songs on the album features American R&B singer-songwriterKehlani.[71][72] PrimarilyR&B andalternative R&B, the album blends elements from a number of genres.[73] Despite the variations in sound and genre,Mind of Mine was structured in an "album-as-complete-work" form, maintaining a tightly knit cohesion throughout the record, with an almost seamless transition between and across songs,[60][74][75] while maintaining a recognizable, mostlydownbeat, "hazy" tone throughout.[76][77][78][79] This gave the album a continuous flow[76] the impression that it all came from one person's "mind".[75] It received generally positive reviews, with praise for Malik's new musical direction, his vocals, and the production.[80][73][74]
Mind of Mine debuted at number one in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, and United States, where he became the first British male solo artist to debut at number one with his first album. Zayn debuted atop the USBillboard 200 earning 157,000 equivalent album units in its first week, with 112,000 coming from pure album sales.[81] Zayn also became the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US[82] and the third artist to debut at number one on both theBillboard 200 and Hot 100 with debut entries on each chart (along withLauryn Hill andClay Aiken).[83] He also topped theBillboard Artist 100 chart,[84] surpassing One Direction's number-two peak on the chart.[85]
On 24 March 2017, Malik released the single "Still Got Time", featuringPartyNextDoor.[93] Malik announced the new single "Dusk Till Dawn", featuringSia, through his social media. The single was released on 7 September 2017, and the accompanying music video, directed byMarc Webb, featured British-American actressJemima Kirke.[94] Malik continued to release songs from his upcoming second album without announcing its release date and name.
On 12 April 2018, Malik released the lead from the album, "Let Me".[95] The second single, "Entertainer", was released on 23 May.[96] He released the third single from the album, "Sour Diesel", on 18 July.[96] On 2 August, Malik released another track for the album titled "Too Much", featuringTimbaland.[97] "Fingers" served as the fifth single and was released on 18 October.[98] He and rapperNicki Minaj collaborated on "No Candle No Light" as the sixth single and final official single from the album, released on 15 November.[99] On 30 November, Malik finally announced that his second solo studio album would be titledIcarus Falls and released its first promotional single, "Rainberry". On 6 December, he released the second promotional single, "Good Years", and on 11 December, he released the album's final promotional and pre-release single, "There You Are".Icarus Falls was released on 14 December, containing 27 tracks, including six previously released singles; "Still Got Time" and "Dusk Till Dawn" were only featured on the Japanese edition of the album.[100][101] The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics[102] but was not as commercially successful as his previous album.Icarus Falls peaked at 61 on the USBillboard 200 and 77 on theUK Albums Chart. On 28 August 2020, he re-released the album, including "Still Got Time" and "Dusk Till Dawn".[103][104]
In 2019, Malik performed a cover version of "A Whole New World" withZhavia Ward forthe soundtrack to the 2019 film remakeAladdin.[105] A bilingual English and Spanish version, "Un Mundo Ideal", performed by Malik andBecky G, was released on 17 May.[106] He performed a full Spanish version withAitana.[107] On 26 September, Malik andindie pop trioShaed released a remix of the latter's song "Trampoline", with Malik contributing vocals.[108] He followed this with another collaboration, the electropop track "Flames", which he wrote and recorded with Dutch DJ and producerR3hab and British DJ Jungleboi.[109] The song was released on 15 November.
On 25 September 2020, Malik released the single "Better" as the lead single from his third studio albumNobody Is Listening. The song was his first solo release in nearly two years. Malik described the album as "his most personal project to date".[110] Another song, "Vibez", was released along with the album pre-order on 8 January 2021. The album was released one week later, on 15 January.[111] On 13 September 2021, Malik released a collection of three songs—"Grimez", "Believe Me" and "47 11"—together dubbedYellow Tape viaDropbox. The tracks' embrace of theold-school hip-hop sound marked a change in his musical direction.[112] In October 2021, RCA dropped Malik from their label.[113]
2023–2025:Room Under the Stairs
Billboard reported on 26 January 2023 that Malik signed a new management contract withUnited Talent Agency for "representation across music, film and television".[114] In June of the same year, the publication further reported Malik had signed a new recording contract withMercury Records, and was poised to release his first single under the label "very soon" that summer.[115] Malik transitioned from his older pop sound to a newer R&B sound with his single "Love Like This", released on 21 July 2023.[115][116]
On 28 February 2024, American record producerDave Cobb revealed that he was extensively working with Zayn on the latter's upcoming album in an interview withRolling Stone, in which he said: "What got me about Zayn was his voice, you can hear love, loss, pain, triumph and humanity in it. I feel as if this record is removing the glass from his spirit directly to his fans. Zayn has really created his own universe on this record, he really has no fear and is speaking straight from his soul".[117] Exactly a week later, in a teaser video, Zayn said: "I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to get more insight on me personally as a human being".[118] The album was announced along with its release date on 13 March 2024, and was released on 17 May 2024.[119] Zayn released a 45 seconds teaser-trailer on 6 March 2024 and made the album available for pre-order. Zayn announced his first-ever solo live show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on 17 May in celebration of the release ofRoom Under the Stairs. He will be performing a selection of tracks from his new LP.[120]Room Under the Stairs spawned three singles: lead single "What I Am", followed by "Alienated", and "Stardust" was released as the third single.Room Under the Stairs received generally favourable reception. The album debuted at number three on theUK Albums Chart, and also debuted at number fifteen on the USBillboard 200.
On 4 February 2026, Zayn announced his fifth studio album,Konnakol, which is set to be released on 17 April 2026. The lead single "Die for Me" will be released on 6 February 2026.[123]
Other ventures
Fashion
In 2016, Malik made his debut onThe Business of Fashion's annual BoF500 index, which profiles the most influential people in fashion.[124] In January 2017, he released a shoe line with Italian footwear designerGiuseppe Zanotti.[125] TheGiuseppe for Zayn capsule collection featured four shoe styles: two boots and two sneakers. In February 2017, theVersus (Versace) Spring Summer 2017 campaign featuring Malik and model Adwoah Aboah was released.[126] In the same month, he co-hosted theCFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund's Americans in Paris annual cocktail during Paris Fashion Week.[127]Donatella Versace, chief designer ofVersace, appointed Malik as the creative director for a men's and women's capsule collection calledZayn x Versus, which was made available in May 2017.[128]
In September 2018, Malik designed a backpack line for The Kooples.[129] He modeled forPenshoppe in their Spring 2018 and 2019 campaigns.[130][131] He also modeled for Martyre, which was founded by Anwar Hadid, the brother of Malik's then-girlfriendGigi.[132]
Philanthropy and activism
Malik is an official ambassador of theBritish Asian Trust charity group, which aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged people inSouth Asia.[133] With his former group One Direction, he contributed to African fundraising events withComic Relief.[134] In April 2014, Malik donated his guitar to the Kean's Children Fund inDundee, Scotland; the charity's founder, Charlie Kean, organised an online auction for the guitar and used the money raised to buyiPads for the children's ward atNinewells.[135] In 2016, Malik sponsored a box atBradford City for underprivileged children to watch football.[136] In January 2020, Malik donated £10,000 toward a five-year-old girl's medical treatment throughGoFundMe page her mother made to raise money.[137]
In May and June 2020, Malik expressed support for theBlack Lives Matter movement by sharing links to petitions and donating to theGeorge Floyd memorial fund.[138] During the2014 Gaza War, Malik posted the message "#FreePalestine" on Twitter, causing him to receive angry responses and death threats online.[139]
In November 2022 in support of an initiative byThe Food Foundation, Malik wrote a public letter to British Prime MinisterRishi Sunak urging him to widen the access to free school meals during thecost of living crisis.[140] In December 2023, Malik became an official ambassador of the Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, an organization providing shelter to injured or unwanted animals. Malik states that he wished to partner with the organization to "spread their message and save animals in need."[141]
Yu-Gi-Oh!
It was revealed on the Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel live-stream on 29 August 2024 that Malik has been the Shadow Duelist with the moniker Nocturne.[142]
Malik has openly spoken about suffering from aneating disorder while inOne Direction, which he attributed to the overwhelming workload and pace of life on tour.[144] He has also spoken about suffering from anxiety and lack of confidence, especially before live solo performances, having cancelled multiple concerts after experiencing "the worst anxiety" of his career.[145][146][147]
As of 2023, he has been living in suburbanPennsylvania for several years, "happy to get away from the bustle of New York City."[148] In 2018, he owned an apartment inSoHo, Manhattan,[149] and previously owned homes in Los Angeles and London, both of which he sold in 2018.[150]
In the past, he was a target ofIslamophobic attacks.[10][151][152] In 2017, Malik stated that he identified as anon-practising Muslim and did not want to be defined by his religion or cultural background.[153] In November 2018, he toldBritishVogue that he believes in God but no longer identified as Muslim.[6][154]
Relationships
After being in a relationship with fellowThe X Factor contestantRebecca Ferguson,[155] Malik began dating English singerPerrie Edwards of the groupLittle Mix in December 2011; they became engaged in August 2013[156] but broke up in August 2015.[157]
Malik began anon-again, off-again relationship with American modelGigi Hadid in late 2015. Hadid starred in his music video for "Pillowtalk",[158] and the pair appeared together on the August 2017 cover ofVogue.[159] In 2017, Hadid photographed them both for aVersace campaign.[160] Hadid gave birth to their daughter in September 2020.[161][162] The family spent a majority of their time at their residence on a working farm in ruralBucks County, Pennsylvania, where Malik tended to horses and cows[163] and Hadid's motherYolanda and sisterBella also own land.[164] Malik and Hadid ended their relationship in October 2021, after Hadid's mother accused him of striking her;[165][166] Malik entered ano contest plea to four charges ofharassment.[167] Court papers stated that Malik "grabbed and shoved her into a dresser causing mental anguish and physical pain" and said "lewd, lascivious, threatening or obscene words".[168] He was sentenced by a Pennsylvania court to 360 days ofprobation and completion ofanger management anddomestic violence education programmes.[169][170]
Artistry
Malik has credited musicians such asChris Brown (left) andUsher (right) as his biggest influences.
In an interview withRolling Stone, Malik stated that listening toChris Stapleton andWillie Nelson inspired the songwriting forRoom Under the Stairs. Putting aside the glossy R&B of his earlier releases in favor of a more rustic and soulful sound inspired by the likes of Stapleton and Nelson.[186]
Malik possesses a widetenor vocal range and is known for hisbelting andfalsetto techniques and high notes.[187][188] He was regarded by Jamieson Cox inTime as One Direction's strongest singer.[189] Brad Nelson ofThe Guardian wrote, "He was one of the more accomplished vocalists of the group, exhibiting the widest range. He mostly inhabited a silvery, full-bodied tenor, similar to but more sharp and precise than Harry Styles' smoky warble", asserting that his departure would leave "a void of vocal agility".[78]
Public image
Malik was known as the "Bradford Bad Boy" of One Direction due to his mischievous behaviour, scandals,tattoos,graffiti art, and rock star hairstyles.[190][191][192] Malik had been a fan of tattoos since beforeX Factor, stating that he likes getting them and enjoys "the whole culture behind them".[12] He revealed his first tattoo on his Twitter account, his maternal grandfather's name inArabic: والتر (Walter). Since then, Malik has got several more tattoos.[152] Discussing his possible solo career after leaving the band,Billboard editor Joe Lynch described him as "the quiet one in the group ... never the one to grab the spotlight during interviews. He typically saved his words for the songs, not for media soundbytes."[193]
InPakistan, Malik is often listed among notablePakistanis of the diaspora.[194] In 2011, he was ranked number 27 onGlamour's "World's Sexiest Men" list.[195] In 2014, Malik was votedBritish GQ's best dressed male.[196] In 2015, he was voted the "Sexiest Male in Pop" in a poll by British radio networkCapital,[197] voted as the "World's Sexiest Asian Man" based on a worldwide poll by the British newspaperEastern Eye,[198] voted second place in a poll of the "World's top ten bachelors" byManchester'sCrown Clinic,[199] and ranked number six onMTV's "50 sexiest men alive" list.[200] In 2016, he ranked fifth onGlamour's "100 Sexiest Men" list.[201]
^"Zayn (2016 Cover Story)".Complex. Archived fromthe original on 17 October 2016. Retrieved21 March 2016. Interviewer: "You've been tight-lipped about your relationship with Gigi Hadid. You're a huge pop star and the person you're with is also very much in the spotlight. Are you getting used to it?" Malik: "Nah. I try to keep the two very separate. I try to, as much as I can. But there's only so much you can do."
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