British pop-star Zayn Malik has emerged a new person in the past year and a half. Since his departure from One Direction to pursue a solo career, Zayn Malik has topped charts with his debut hit single “Pillowtalk“. Despite all of this, the 23-year old star still grapples with all of the attention – and personally, his confidence.
Speaking to Elle.com, he speaks how difficult it has been establishing himself as a solo artist “My entire life has changed in the last year,” Malik said in the interview. “I’m still taking it all in. I’ve found so much out about myself. Mostly how in love with music I still was. The album is a build up of six years and never being able to express what I wanted to say,I had something to get off my chest.”
He confesses that expressing himself onstage has been more of a challenge. In June, Malik had to cancel his set at London’s Capital Summertime Ball. At the time, he tweeted, “Unfortunately, my anxiety that has haunted me throughout the last few months around live performances has gotten the better of me…with the magnitude of the event, I have suffered the worst anxiety of my career.”
On his decision to leave One Direction, despite it being an unwelcome surprise to the band’s fans, Malik maintains it was the right decision “At that time in my life I felt I had done everything I could do there and I just needed to change it up. It didn’t feel brave. I just don’t have it in me to feel fully secure in anything I do. I always strive towards something better. It’s why I think sometimes I come across the wrong way, a bit distant. I’m just stressed out trying to control how I’m perceived. I think about things a lot.”
Since Malik left the group, One Direction has gone on hiatus with its individual members pursuing other creative projects.