Zayn Malik admits he wanted to leave One Direction after 'just one year' in first on-camera interview since split
Zayn Malik has admitted that he wanted to leave One Direction after just one year.
The singer, who quit the boyband in March last year, has said that he ‘always wanted to go’ in his first on-camera interview as a solo artist.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple’s Beats 1Radio, he said: “I just gave it a go because it was there at the time.
“I think I kinda always wanted to go. From the first year, I never really wanted to be there in the band.
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-version="6"> <div> <div> <div> </div> </div> <a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BA6i4VGJqRd/" target="_blank" class="body-link" data-vars-item-name="BL-3166986-https://www.instagram.com/p/BA6i4VGJqRd/" data-vars-event-id="c23">A photo posted by Zayn Malik (@zayn)</a> on <time datetime="2016-01-24T08:16:59+00:00">Jan 24, 2016 at 12:16am PST</time> </div>
“When I realised the direction that we were going in, mind the pun, with the music, I instantly realised it wasn't for me. How do you write a song from five people's perspective?”
Malik, who stayed with the band for four years after they it was formed on The X Factor in 2010, claims that the other boys knew that it wasn’t for him.
One Direction's Zayn Malik - In pictures
“I think the boys knew that in terms of the music, that wasn't my cup of tea. When I was leaving the band, they didn't want me to leave. But I'd already made up my mind at that point,” he said.
The 23-year-old will release his debut solo single Pillowtalk on Friday, as Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Liam Payne go on hiatus.
Malik was due to appear on The Graham Norton Show this Friday to promote the single but has cancelled at the last minute.
“Due to unforeseen scheduling conflicts with recording commitments, Zayn's appearance on Graham Norton has been postponed,” his rep has said.
