53 Facts About Zayn Malik

1.

Zain Javadd Malik, known professionally as Zayn Malik or simply Zayn, is a British singer.

2.

Zayn Malik left the group in March 2015 and signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records.

3.

Zayn Malik released his second studio album, Icarus Falls, in 2018, followed by his third album, Nobody Is Listening, in 2021.

4.

Zayn Malik has received several accolades, including an American Music Award and a MTV Video Music Award.

5.

Zayn Malik is the only artist to have won the Billboard Music Award for New Artist of the Year twice, receiving it once as a member of One Direction in 2013 and again in 2017 as a soloist.

6.

Zayn Malik was born Zain Javadd Malik on 12 January 1993 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, to an immigrant Pakistani Muslim father, Yaser Malik, and a White British mother of English and Irish descent, Trisha Malik, who converted to Islam upon marriage.

7.

Zayn Malik has one older sister, Doniya, and two younger sisters, Waliyha and Safaa.

8.

Zayn Malik grew up in East Bowling, Bradford, in a working-class family and neighbourhood.

9.

Zayn Malik attended Lower Fields Primary School and Tong High School in Bradford.

10.

Zayn Malik wrote raps when he was at school and sang on stage for the first time when singer Jay Sean visited his school.

11.

In 2010,17-year-old Zayn Malik auditioned in Manchester for the seventh series of reality television competition The X Factor.

12.

Zayn Malik sang "Let Me Love You" by Mario as his audition song and was accepted into the next round.

13.

On 18 March 2015, following the band's 16th show of the tour, it was announced that Zayn Malik had become overwhelmed with stress and would be absent for the remaining shows of the Asian leg of the tour.

14.

In March 2015, Zayn Malik was seen at a London recording studio with producer Naughty Boy.

15.

The material was never released after Zayn Malik parted ways with Naughty Boy.

16.

Later that year, Zayn Malik gave several interviews to discuss his debut solo studio album and revealed part of the track list.

17.

Zayn Malik debuted atop the US Billboard 200 earning 157,000 equivalent album units in its first week, with 112,000 coming from pure album sales.

18.

Zayn Malik became the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US and the third artist to debut at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 with debut entries on each chart.

19.

Zayn Malik topped the Billboard Artist 100 chart, surpassing One Direction's number-two peak on the chart.

20.

In July 2016, "Cruel", featuring Zayn Malik, was released by British production team Snakehips.

21.

On 24 March 2017, Zayn Malik released the single "Still Got Time", featuring PartyNextDoor.

22.

Zayn Malik announced the new single "Dusk Till Dawn", featuring Sia, through his social media.

23.

Zayn Malik continued to release songs from his upcoming second album without announcing its release date and name.

24.

On 12 April 2018, Zayn Malik released the lead from the album, "Let Me".

25.

In 2019, Zayn Malik performed a cover version of "A Whole New World" with Zhavia Ward for the soundtrack to the 2019 film remake Aladdin.

26.

Zayn Malik followed this with another collaboration, the electropop track "Flames", which he wrote and recorded with Dutch DJ and producer R3hab and British DJ Jungleboi.

27.

On 25 September 2020, Zayn Malik released the single "Better" as the lead single from his third studio album Nobody Is Listening.

28.

Zayn Malik described the album as "his most personal project to date".

29.

In 2016, Zayn Malik made his debut on The Business of Fashion's annual BoF500 index, which profiles the most influential people in fashion.

30.

In September 2018, Zayn Malik designed a backpack line for The Kooples.

31.

Zayn Malik modeled for Penshoppe in their Spring 2018 and 2019 campaigns.

32.

Zayn Malik modeled for Martyre, which was founded by Anwar Hadid, the brother of Malik's then-girlfriend Gigi.

33.

Zayn Malik is an official ambassador of the British Asian Trust charity group, which aims to improve the lives of disadvantaged people in South Asia.

34.

In March 2016, Zayn Malik bought a box at Bradford City for underprivileged children to watch football, named after his maternal grandfather Walter Brannan.

35.

In May and June 2020, Zayn Malik expressed support for the Black Lives Matter movement by sharing links to petitions and donating to the George Floyd memorial fund.

36.

On 8 November 2022, Zayn Malik wrote a public letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where he urged him to widen the access to free school meals during the cost of living crisis.

37.

In 2017, Zayn Malik stated that he identified as a non-practising Muslim and did not want to be defined by his religion or cultural background.

38.

Zayn Malik has openly spoken about suffering from an eating disorder while in One Direction, which he attributed to the overwhelming workload and pace of life on tour.

39.

Zayn Malik began dating English singer Perrie Edwards of the band Little Mix in December 2011; they became engaged in August 2013 but broke up in August 2015.

40.

Zayn Malik began an on-again, off-again relationship with American model Gigi Hadid in late 2015.

41.

Zayn Malik and Hadid welcomed their first child, a daughter, in September 2020.

42.

The family spent a majority of their time at their residence on a working farm in rural Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where Zayn Malik tended to horses and cows and Hadid's mother Yolanda and sister Bella own land.

43.

Zayn Malik and Hadid ended their relationship in October 2021, after Hadid's mother accused him of striking her; Zayn Malik entered a no contest plea to four charges of harassment.

44.

Court papers stated that Zayn Malik "grabbed and shoved her into a dresser causing mental anguish and physical pain" and said "lewd, lascivious, threatening or obscene words".

45.

Zayn Malik was sentenced by a Pennsylvania court to 360 days of probation and completion of anger management and domestic violence education programmes.

46.

Zayn Malik was influenced by his father's urban records, including those by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, R Kelly, Usher, Donell Jones, Prince, 2Pac, Biggie, Gregory Isaacs, Yellowman and Chris Brown.

47.

Zayn Malik possesses a wide tenor vocal range and is known for his belting and falsetto techniques and high notes.

48.

Zayn Malik was regarded by Jamieson Cox in Time as One Direction's strongest singer.

49.

Zayn Malik was known as the "Bradford Bad Boy" of One Direction due to his mischievous behaviour, scandals, tattoos, graffiti art, and rock star hairstyles.

50.

Zayn Malik had been a fan of tattoos since before X Factor, stating that he likes getting them and enjoys "the whole culture behind them".

51.

Zayn Malik typically saved his words for the songs, not for media soundbytes.

52.

In Pakistan, Zayn Malik is often listed among notable Pakistanis of the diaspora.

53.

In 2014, Zayn Malik was voted British GQs best dressed male.