“I’m really content and happy with being single for the first time in my life,” said the singer, who also touched on his on-again-off-again relationship with Gigi Hadid.
Zayn Malik is opening up about his experience with dating apps.
In an interview with NYLON for its latest cover story, the singer revealed that hasn’t found much success on Tinder because people don’t believe they’re actually seeing the real him on the app.
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Zayn Malik Alludes to Gigi Hadid Split and Reveals Biggest Regret About One Direction In Candid Interview
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“It’s not been too successful for me, I’ll be honest,” Malik shared. “Everyone accused me of catfishing. They’re like, ‘What are you using Zayn Malik’s pictures for?’ I’ve been kicked off once or twice.'”
His failed attempts with online dating aside, the “What I Am” singer said he’s not looking to date at all … at least for right now.
“I’m really content and happy with being single for the first time in my life,” he said.
Also during the interview, Malik opened up about his past relationships with Perrie Edwards and Gigi Hadid.
About a year after One Direction was formed, the now 31-year-old dated Edwards, a member of the British girl group, Little Mix. The couple became engaged in August 2013, but split two years later.
While speaking with NYLON, Malik gave a rare comment about his romance with Edwards.
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“From 17 to 21, I was in a relationship. I was engaged and [planned to get] married and I didn’t know anything about anything at that point,” he recalled. “I thought I did, because I was 21. I was legally allowed to do everything, but I didn’t know s–t.”
Following his breakup with Edwards, Malik moved on with Hadid, with whom he dated off and off for six years.
The former boy band member and supermodel first got together in late 2015 but broke up in 2018. The pair would later reconcile just months later, only to break up again in 2019 and get back together in early 2020. In April of that year, they announced that they were expecting their first child together. Malik and Hadid would go on to welcome daughter, Khai, in September 2020, but a reported rift between the singer and Hadid’s mother, Yolanda, drove the couple apart.
“From 21 to 27, I was with Gi, and we had a kid, and I didn’t really take much time to get to know myself,” Malik told NYLON, reflecting on his romance with Hadid.
The “Pillowtalk” singer reflected on being in high-profile relationships while navigating fame, admitting that he “jumped” at the chance to have a normal love life.
“I lived a very chill life in Bradford. I never really had a girlfriend. My parents were kind of old-school, so I never brought a girlfriend home or anything,” Malik recalled. “When I got the chance to do that, I jumped straight in, two feet first, and was like, ‘I’m going to have a girlfriend, and she’s going to live with me. This makes me a grown man.'”
As previously mentioned, dating is not currently a priority for Malik, and he reiterated that he’s not in a rush to get into another relationship.
“It’s probably wise to take your time before you fully invest in another human being as a lifelong partner,” he said.
Read more from Malik’s profile, here.
