A 6 year gap from interviews, Zayn Malik took a chance on Alex Cooper's 'Call Her Daddy' podcast in a personal tell all that broke the internet.
That Grape Juice
From his successful music career in the boy band One Direction to a solo career that won countless awards from the AMA's, Brit Awards, and more, Zayn's life has been in the spotlight since 2010 for better & for worse.
After living a more quiet life in recent years following the birth of his daughter and after releasing multiple successful solo albums, he's finally ready to break his streak and join one of the leading podcasts. In his honest and intimate conversation we're given a full scope on the beginnings of his artistry and the development of the now Zayn Malik.
We took it back to his infamous X-Factor audition in 2010 as his first time onstage was in Manchester, immediately followed by One Direction bandmate Harry Styles. He experienced overnight stardom at just 17 years old, which was a dream of every aspiring singer, however, the immense exposure to the world was difficult to comprehend until years later. He felt as though his youthful mind couldn't absorb the lifestyle change but today, he finally has the capacity to step back and digest it all.
Once the 5 members were initially creating the legacy that would be one of the most successful boy bands to date, it seemed as though each member was attributed a personality that would stick and perhaps sell the band even more. Zayn felt as though his more quiet and reserved demeanor was marketed as the serious and mysterious member such than other members who received a more happy-go-lucky public personality. Although this may have helped the band's image, it wasn't in line with who he truly was.
5 years after their back to back albums releases, it felt as though the band was on thin ice and at the point where they no longer connected with the trajectory of the English-Irish boy band. Zayn expressed some push and pull between the band members in the interview and went further to say that "I think I'd known for a minute [that the band was breaking up]. There was a lot of politics going on... certain people were doing certain things and certain people didn't want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening... So I just got ahead of the curb...".
Entering his early 20s, he wanted to take control over his music, his growth as an artist and was the first band member to step away from One Direction, which took over headlines. Multiple tabloids and fans created false stories behind his decision, however, he had multiple reasons for his departure. After leaving the band, he began releasing his own music, which undoubtedly strayed away from the band's original artistry & granted him the creative freedom. His first public record as a solo artist, 'Pillowtalk' was and continues to be one of his most successful tracks, which led to his album 'Mind Of Mine', a strictly independent studio album. This was marked as a major stepping stone in his career as it drifted him further away from his sound just a year ago.
Finding his voice after being given it to him was a challenge. Between his One Direction years, upcoming music, self-reflecting became a priority. The overexposure during the X-Factor time period and the entirety of the boy band led him to re-learn how to live again and offer something more, different, and authentic than what he was taught to satisfy.
The shift in messaging within each of his albums was now centered around vulnerability and personable topics whereas the band was meant to do the opposite. Although he and enjoyed the fun & fresh music they released, Malik felt that the music had little to no profundity and failed to touch on more delicate topics, which he felt didn't ignite him creatively. It was also difficult to allow each member to tell their story as all of them would find it a challenge to see eye to eye and emit similar emotions.
In addition to disagreements between the members, labels, and managers, Zayn vulnerably admitted that their friendships had also taken a toll. The pressure for each of them to maintain a facade of strong alliances between each bandmate became exhausting. It was as though they had to continue the storyline of being close companions at every given point in time. Despite any hostility from the past, he went further to say that he looks back at their memories with fondness and appreciation.
Alex turned away from topics relating to his career and instead dove deep into Zayn's experience with anxiety. Between normalizing live performances for millions, the pressure from multiple external figures as well as himself, to pushing down his emotions, he finally found solitude within his daughter. The overwhelming mental health issues that bear down on in his day to day have been minimized dramatically from the desire to consistently be a strong figure for his family members and not be withheld from experiencing life.
The move from a bustling city to a local rural town was a non-negotiable decision for his mental health, growth, and development of his daughter. Since his life is anything but quiet, the need for her to have a more private and normal life is something that both he and Gigi prioritize. Between harmonizing & singing, with his daughter, enjoying a pure life together, and feeling strongly bonded to himself and family, Zayn has finally felt complete.
From moving on from One Direction, to tabloids about his personal life, to a more recent incident in 2021, we dive a bit deeper into the events that led to the public questioning his character. Despite the world speculating about the interaction between him and Yolanda Hadid, he found it foolish to consistently explain himself to those that weren't involved. "I knew what the situation was, I knew what happened. And the people involved knew what happened too... and that's all I really cared about." The family has moved on for the better and continue to fight any negative narrative that may spark up.
After two years since his last piece of work, we're finally getting more music from the talented Zayn Malik. The upcoming track 'Love Like This' centers around summertime and positive energy, releasing on July 21st. Other EPs in the upcoming studio album are centered around multiple themes and topics, including his daughter, personal life experiences, and some other untouched stories. As Zayn opens himself up to the world and squashes preconceived notions about his personality and life, we're gifted with a talented and relatable artist who delivered his story and connected with listeners worldwide.
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