Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past week or two, you’ve probably heard about, cried about, or maybe simply didn’t care about Zayn Malik’s announcement of quitting One Direction. The “Bradford bad boi” announced his exit from the band only a week following his departure from the “On the Road Again” world tour, citing “stress” as the reason for his hiatus. In an official statement, Zayn states, “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band. I’d like to apologise to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall. I know they will continue to be the best band in the world.” During the five years that Zayn was with 1D, the band won numerous awards, produced platinum records, and won the hearts of millions of teenage girls around the world.
As a once-obsessive Directioner (and more importantly, a die-hard Zayn fan), finding out about Zayn’s departure stung a little. No, actually more than a little. As stupid as it sounds, it was almost like a small piece of me died with it. Before One Direction, I had never joined the boy band mania or even thought about boy bands. But seeing Zayn’s *beautiful* face changed everything. Soon enough, I was a full-blown fangirl, watching all the X-factor videos, interviews, listening to all the music, calling up radio stations for 1D tickets (okay, that was really hard for me to admit), and memorizing every insignificant fact and detail about them. Though I grew to love the charismatic nature of all of the boys, Zayn was always my favorite. Along with his good looks and suave (c’mon, he is SOOO hot), his artsiness, goofiness, and introverted demeanor really connected with me.
Nonetheless, as the band began climbing to imminent stardom, Zayn seemed to be increasingly more uncomfortable with the spotlight. While the other members seemed to keep their goofy disposition intact, Zayn seemed increasingly reserved in any situations with exposure. Fame had taken a toll on him. To me, this gradual dissipation of his outward presence was the first of the warning signs leading up to his departure. In fact, it was also part of the reason why I slowly began to stop meticulously following 1D (probably for the better).
However, this isn’t the only theory I have surrounding Zayn’s departure. Consider some of these other observations I’ve made throughout the years leading up to his exit:
1. Zayn Has Always Been an R&B Dude
It’s common knowledge/my opinion that Zayn Malik clearly has the most beautiful voice out of all the boys. He can hit high notes, runs, and is far more consistent vocally than anyone in the band. After watching his X-Factor audition for the first time (he sang “Let Me Love You” by Mario, an R&B song), I was immediately surprised that he was even put into a group. His voice gives off a smooth, soulful, Sam-Smith-esque tone that can stand alone, not something meant for teeny-bopper pop. This is not to say that I didn’t want him in One Direction (because One Direction will never be the same without him). It’s just that I think his voice is much more suited for genres such as R&B and hip-hop. In his first interview from quitting, he states, “I did try to do something that I wasn’t happy doing for a while, for the sake of other people’s happiness.”
2. When Zayn Skipped the Today Show
Back in November, Zayn missed the promo of Four on the Today Show and a concert at Universal Studios due to a “stomach bug.” Regardless of whether or not his illness was real, this was the first of Zayn skipping 1D appearances. Not to mention, it was the promo day of their new album in the US (aka a very important day). Not to mention their album was named Four (we’ll get to that below).
3. Going Solo
Rumors began spreading last July that Zayn had been collaborating with producer Naughty Boy in July after Naughty Boy (real name Shahid Khan) was “really impressed” with Zayn’s writing abilities while working on songs. Zayn has also been pictured with the hit producer in studio (like above) and was recently spotted in studio again immediately after quitting. So perhaps this is not the last we’ll see of Zayn Malik…
4. Four
Okay, seriously?!? This is probably the most telling of them all. The band named their most recent album FOUR. As in, this is FOURSHADOWING Zayn quitting One Direction. The band is now reduced to FOUR members. Getting it now?
5. Zayn Leaving the Tour
This one nailed the coffin for me. As mentioned earlier in the article, Zayn left the tour about a week before quitting One Direction due to “stress.” Artists don’t simply leave tours for stress. While I didn’t expect him to leave that soon, I knew the end was inevitable.
While I’m sad to see my favorite 1D member go, I know it’s for the best. As with the rest of the One Direction fan community, I wish nothing but the best for the future of Zayn’s career and happiness.
(now, excuse me as I go wither in 1D nostalgia)