In an interview, Zayn Malik explained that he left One Direction during their 2015 tour due to stress and the realization that the band was nearing its end.
He was concerned when the other members decided not to sign new contracts, signaling the group’s uncertain future.
“I knew something was happening, so I just got ahead of the curve,” he said.
“I was like, ‘I’m just going to get out of here, I think this is done’.”
He continued:
“I just seen it [coming] and I completely selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record. If I’m being completely honest with you, I was like, ‘I’m going to jump the gun here’.
“I’m a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I’m serious about it and I’m competitive, so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason.”
Zayn Malik also mentioned that underlying tensions existed within the band after enduring five years of intense fame and scrutiny following their X Factor debut.
“There was obviously underlying issues within our friendships, too. We’d got sick of each other if I’m being completely honest.”
Zayn Malik noted that time has provided him with greater perspective on his experiences with the boy band.
“We were close, you know?” he said of the group. “We’d done crazy things with each other that nobody else in the world will ever understand and I look back on it now in a much fonder light than I would have [when] I’d just left.
“There were great experiences, I had great times with them, but we’d just run our course.”
Zayn Malik was speaking ahead of the release of his comeback single “Love Like This,” set for July 21.
In the hour-long interview, Zayn Malik discussed his struggles with anxiety, his passion for cooking, and his large collection of pets, which includes three dogs, three cats, three turtles, and six chickens.
He dismissed his “moody one” image in One Direction as a marketing ploy and likened the band’s public personas to “the Teletubbies and the Spice Girls.”
Zayn also mentioned that he has been working to overcome the anxiety that has hindered his ability to perform since leaving the band.
“As a young kid, I loved being on stage and I loved performing. When it became a thing that had a lot of weight behind it, in terms of people watching and stuff, then you’re going to have natural feelings of anxiety. It’s not a natural thing to do. I had to learn to adjust.”
