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Zayn Malik Finally Reveals Why He Left One Direction

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 06:40 PST, Dec 27, 2015

Zayn Malik has come clean on why he left One Direction, and what he has said comes across as both open and honest. The Fader recently interviewed Malik at his London home. Zayn Malik was a seemingly good host and delivered a candid interview. The reason he left 1D? He couldn’t be himself in the music.

“There was never any room for me to experiment creatively in the band. 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 f***, so they could use that version. Whenever I would suggest something, it was like it didn’t fit us. There was just a general conception that the management already had of what they want for the band, and I just wasn’t convinced with what we were selling. I wasn’t 100 percent behind the music. It wasn’t me. It was music that was already given to us, and we were told this is what is going to sell to these people. As much as we were the biggest, most famous boy band in the world, it felt weird. We were told to be happy about something that we weren’t happy about.”

Zayn Malik’s reason is pretty straightforward. He left One Direction because he wanted to stop living a lie and honor who he is. Most fans agree that there’s nothing wrong with that; but, Simon Cowell, the band’s mentor when they were on X-Factor, seems to think there is. The Mirror reports that Cowell thinks what Malik has said is “rude.”

“It is a bit rude to the people who wrote all the hits with them. And to the other band members. I mean they all wrote a lot of the stuff.”

Cowell also thinks Zayn Malik will come around and realize the things he said were uncalled for.

“I think once he has had a chance to reflect on everything he will probably reconsider what he’s said because it was a very, very democratic process in the band.”

Cowell also seems to have a pretty cold outlook on Zayn Malik and his future.

“To be honest I don’t even think about it too much because as soon as he left we sorted him out with a label who really were enthusiastic about him and then my loyalty was back with the boys. They had no warning. Not that they needed me but I wanted to show that I was there for them and that they could continue without him – and they did.”

Zayn Malik has had most of 2015 to really start exploring himself, who he is, and he has seemingly enjoyed it. Billboard talks about Malik’s changes this year in terms of his changing hairstyles. Before he left One Direction, his hair was just black, a standard hairstyle.

Then, he started going a bit toward the wild side. By June 2015, Zayn Malik had chosen green coloring and a buzz cut as the way to go.

Then he moved on to white hair.

As his hair grew out some by August, Malik decided to go with the more distinguished look of gray/blue.

Now, as December has arrived, he has settled for a two-toned look of bleached hair and a natural beard to finish out 2015.

Aside from interviews and changing hair colors, Zayn Malik has been getting his Frozen on. The Indian Express reports that Malik has done a short Dubsmash video in which he lip syncs some of Olaf the snowman’s lines.

It’s good to see Zayn Malik let loose and be himself. Kudos to him for standing up for himself in what is a very tough industry.

[Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images]

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