Zayne Malik confirms solo career

Zayn Malik has confirmed he will embark on a solo career after quitting with One Direction.

Speaking for the first time since announcing his decision to quit the massive boyband on Wednesday, Zayne confirmed he’ll be going into the studio to work on solo material.

In an exclusive interview, with The Sun, the 22-year-old dismissed claims that this means the end of the boyband’s career.

“I feel like I’ve let the fans down but I can’t do this anymore. It is crazy and wild and a bit mad but, at the same time, I’ve never felt more in control in my life.

“And I feel like I’m doing what’s right – right by myself and right by the boys, so I feel good.”

Speaking about his decision to leave the band shortly after being signed off their world tour due to stress, Malik revealed that it was a long time coming.

“You know, I did try to do something that I wasn’t happy doing for a while, for the sake of maybe other people’s happiness,” he revealed.

“And that was mainly the fans. And I only ever tried to do it for the fans, and it was only ever for them.

“I’m only upset [because] I feel like I may have let them down in some sort of way. It’s not that I’ve turned my back on them or anything, it’s just that I just can’t do that anymore because it’s not real to me.”

Despite claiming he quit the chart-topping boyband after five years to live the life of a “normal 22-year-old out of the spotlight”, this interview would suggest otherwise, leaving the door open to speculation of a rift in boyband land – something Zane claimed was not the case.

Malik was quick to stop rumours that his departure had anything to do with his relationship with fellow bandmates Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, revealing that talk of the band’s falling out “couldn’t be more wrong”.

“It’s been really good for me,” he admitted. “My band has been really supportive. They’ve been really cool about it. And they understand that, you know, it’s not real to me anymore.”

On discussing the band’s future, Malik revealed: “They still want to do it for a while, so they’re going to carry on doing what they want to do and I think they’re going to do okay for a while.”

In the interview, the singer added that his fiancée – Perrie Edwards of Little Mix – has been supportive of his decision to leave, stating: “Yeah, she’s always supportive. She’s always good, man.”