Although Zayn Malik has been very secretive about his personal and professional life, he gave his first major interview in six years. The "Pillowtalk" artist appeared on the Call Her Daddy podcast and spoke to Alex Cooper about being a father, returning to the music industry and leaving One Direction, the band that launched his career.
Here are some of the biggest revelations from Malik's "Call Her Dad" interview.
Zayn talks fatherhood
Back in 2020, Malik welcomed a daughter, Khai, with his ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid. The following year, Malik and Hadid decided to split, ending their six-year on-and-off relationship. "Ever since I had my daughter, the biggest thing on my mind has been trying to be a good role model for her," the singer explained to Cooper during the sit-down, saying he's "concerned about Kaye 50 percent of the time." . "
"My time with her is really important because I feel like she's growing up so quickly. So when I'm with her, I'm not working at all," Malik added, revealing that his daughter seems to share his love for music. "She's already showing a lot of signs of musical intelligence. Like I sing and she sings along and she can already play really good harmonies and stuff like that, and she's only two and a half and she harmonizes really well with me. ”
Zayn allegedly feuded with Yolanda Hadid
In October 2021, Gigi's mother Yolanda Hadid reportedly accused the former One Direction star of assaulting her. Malik "categorically" denies the allegations and has entered a no contest plea to four charges of harassment. The singer was reportedly later sentenced to 360 days of probation and required to complete an anger management and domestic violence education program.
Malik explained in an interview with Cooper that he didn't want to talk about the incident on social media at the time and was primarily concerned about the people involved and "wasn't trying to be negative with her."
Meanwhile, the singer also said he doesn't want to get caught up in a "narrative" that his young daughter might one day be exposed to. "Any kind of narrative online, if my daughter looked back and read it and could make sense of it, it just... doesn't make sense," he continued.
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Zayn talks leaving One Direction
As fans will remember, Malik began his career in the highly successful boy band One Direction, alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson together. The band was formed during the UK series of The X Factor in 2010, and after selling millions of records, selling out world tours and not one but two big screen releases, Malik decided to call it quits in 2015.
Malik spoke about his decision to leave the hit band on Call Her Daddy , revealing that "politics" and strained friendships within the band contributed to his decision to leave. "I don't want to get into too many details, but there's a lot of politics involved. People are doing certain things, people don't want to sign contracts, so I know there's something going on," he shared.
Malik recalled his One Direction years later, adding that he and his bandmates "were in deep trouble" during their early years together, but looked back on some of his experiences with fondness. "I feel like we do a great job of, you know, coming together as a team and making the music that we're supposed to make... We do some crazy things with each other that no one else in the world does." Will always understand. "
The singer also revealed there was "no time for anxiety or nerves" in the band, adding that he felt he "quit at the right time". Malik continued: "I think if I did it again it might have a bigger impact on me."
Zayn talks about returning to music
As for his highly anticipated return to music, Malik teased his new single "Love Like This" - which will be released on July 21st. It's a great atmosphere. It feels like summer," he told Cooper, revealing that he was nervous about going on stage again after a break from the show.
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"But I also have this energy, like I have something to give and I want to be on stage," Malik explained, also praising his supportive fan base, which he's "so grateful for." "They always say 'We're here, we got you. Like when you're ready, we've got you and we're coming to your music. .... I do feel the love. I've Get ready to prove these people right."
