Zayn Malik Felt ”Overexposed’ with One Direction, How He Knew It Was Time to Leave

The former boy bander dropped by the “Call Her Daddy” podcast to chat with Alex Cooper about his whirlwind rise to super-stardom and how he knew when to say when, leaving the band in 2015. Less than a year later, the rest of the boys would separate, as well.

He also delved into dealing with his anxiety, and how daughter Khai has helped him learn to better overcome that. The singer opened up about co-parenting with Gigi Hadid and even touched on the infamous 2021 harassment charges he pled no contest to. You can read all about that here.

Another thing that has helped him in dealing with his lifelong struggle with anxiety was stepping away from the craziness of life with One Direction, and even the hustle and bustle of New York City life where he couldn’t step outside without getting recognized.

“I wanted to take a break from the busy city,” he told Cooper, explaining why he moved to suburban Pennsylvania. “I was living in New York for three years at the time. It just got a bit overwhelming you know, like going out with just craziness all the time. So I just wanted a bit more of a surrounding like I’m used to.”

He also wanted that for his daughter, saying that he didn’t want to bombard Khai with this life of celebrity that she never chose. He’s committed to allowing her the choice of if and how to engage with his parents’ fame and pursue her own dreams, whether they are or are not in the spotlight.

Throughout the interview, Malik was very “chill,” as he described himself a lot of the time, and that’s why the quieter life outside the city suits him so well. “I like my own space,” he explained. “I like my thoughts and my quiet environment. I feel like when there’s a lot of people around, it kind of just gets a bit hectic for me. I like to chill by myself from time to time.”

That “chill” demeanor led to him being labeled the quiet or mysterious or even brooding one when he was part of One Direction. As Cooper noted, people love to put labels on parts of things, with Spice Girls the ultimate example of that as they created their own one-dimensional identities. But, as Malik pointed out, people are multi-faceted, so such labels are inevitably limiting and inaccurate.

Nevertheless, he said that living in the spotlight and with these strong senses of who he was projected upon him by fans and media alike did take its toll. It’s also, in part, why he chose to disconnect for as long as he did. By his figuring, it’s been about six years since he’d done a full interview like this.

Part of the reason he did so was to show his daughter he could overcome his anxiety — plus, with a new single and album coming, promotions are a thing. The other reason is that he feels enough time has passed that maybe he’s fresh and interesting now.

“I feel like we were so overexposed in the band, it takes a bit of time naturally for you to progress as a human and give something else that is interesting to say,” he explained. “You don’t want to be sat there just saying the same s— on repeat day in and day out.”

Instead, he thinks “a good, healthy break” is essential both personally and professionally, which is exactly what he is now coming out of.

“I feel like in terms of figuring out your identity is as an artist, the only way you’re gonna do that is by living it,” he said. “You can’t just be on the conveyor belt and expect to have any sort of experience that’s new that you’re gonna give people.”

Now that he’s stepped out of that world and spent some years developing himself as an individual person and artist, Malik feels he finally has something new to say. He promised his new music is meatier and has more depth than anything he’s recorded before, as well as a new sound for his fans.

He also teased that the music is more personal than ever before, with even his daughter making her way onto the album on more than one occasion. Stepping away to live life and be present for his daughter — he does not work during the time he has custody, which is fifty percent — inevitably helped him continue to find himself.

In many ways, that journey began after he made the fateful decision to leave One Direction, which he said was both on his mind for a little while but also almost impulsive in the moment he pulled the trigger.

He even recalled that he called his mom that same day he told the group he was done and asked her if she had a bed he could sleep in if he came home. His dad, he laughed, wasn’t as supportive of him leaving, but his mom was more than happy to have her boy home again.

As for the decision itself, Malik hinted at things changing, that he could start to see the writing on the wall. “I don’t want to go into too much detail, but there was a lot of politics going on,” he shared. “Certain people were doing certain things, certain people didn’t want to sign contracts, so I knew something was happening.”

“So I just got ahead of the curve,” he continued. “I was like, I’m just gonna get out of here, I think this is done. And I just seen it.”

It wasn’t all business, though, as there was also the personal aspect. At this point, the group had been together and at the top of the world for a half-decade, which is a long time for young men at formative years of their lives.

“We’d been together every day for five years and we got sick of each other,” Malik said candidly.

Hindsight being what it is, and with almost eight years to process the experience, Malik says that he now sees it “in a much fonder light” than when he’d just left. But as fast as they blew up, how could anyone process going from auditioning for a reality show to selling out stadiums in a matter of months.

“I don’t think I comprehended it at all. I think it was just a rush, you know, it was just fun,” Malik said of living in the middle of the maelstrom. “And then, repetitive fun over and over again eventually is gonna take its toll.”

“So then you look at it a certain way when you’re in that and it feels overbearing,” he continued. “Now, I look back at it and it was a rush, it was fun, it was something that was amazing. So of course I wasn’t gonna understand it. It’s not something I expected in my life but it was definitely fun, for sure.”

With the sense that 1D had run its course, Malik also admitted to a selfish angle to his decision to walk away, saying he “wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record … I’m past due when it comes to my music and my business.

“I’m serious about it and I’m competitive,” he continued, “so I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing.” He has no regrets, either, noting, “I think I got out at the right time. I think if I’d have done it any longer, it might have affected me a bit more. I think we did the right amount.”

Within a year of his departure, the rest of the group went on indefinite hiatus and all five of them have embarked on successful solo careers –a remarkable feat for any musical group.

From his audition singing Mario’s “Let Me Love You” on “The X Factor,” which Malik says he cringes when watching and wants to go back and give himself a hug, to the upcoming release of his latest single, Malik has lived more in a decade than most do in a life time.

Through it all, he feels he’s landed in a better place than ever. “Across the board, I’ve kind of had a full mental rehaul in the best way, thanks to my child and being able to see things in a different light,” he said.

He promised it won’t be six more years until fans see him, saying he’s “gonna be a lot more present” as he begins his next musical chapter. His summer single “Love Like This” drops July 21 ahead of his next album, which doesn’t yet have a release date or name — see he has to come back and talk to his fans again!