Zayn Malik for Fader

Zayn Malik is the December/January cover star for Fader magazine. He opens up to the mag about leaving One Direction, his life now and so much more.

On auditioning for X Factor: “People laugh at me because it sounds so childish now, but genuinely, at the time, I was a lazy teen. If I was in control of me going to audition for X Factor, I would have never gone because I would have never got up on the day of the audition at four in the morning. The reason I woke up is because my mom came in the room and was like, ‘You have to go audition for this show.’ I felt like I had to do it because I owed it to her”.

On the pressure of being a role model: “I don’t feel like I felt pressure ever. I always felt good that I was, like, first of my kind in what I was doing. I enjoyed that I brought the diversity. But I would never be trying to influence anything or try to stamp myself as a religious statement or portrayal of anything. I am me. I’m just doing me”.

On part of his reasoning for leaving the band: “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 is apparently set to release his debut album next year having recorded most of the songs already. He also shared in the interview he recently spoke with Liam Payne from One Direction and that the two are hoping to work together in the future.

To read Zayn’s full interview HERE