Today, former One Direction heartthrob Zayn Malik gets featured on the new cover of NYLON magazine as he talks about his past with the world-famous boy band ahead of the arrival of his forthcoming country-inspired album: "Room Under the Stairs."
You can now pre-save and pre-order the upcoming record by clicking here.
Zayn Malik Talks About His Past and Future Endeavors
In the cover story, Zayn unabashedly opens up about various life stories, especially regarding previous relationships, that he would otherwise not offer a peep about in the past. This includes a rare comment about his engagement with Perrie Edwards.
Of this particular relationship, the artist said: "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. I thought I did because I was 21. I was legally allowed to do everything, but I didn't know sh*t."
Zayn also freely chatted about his history with 1D, saying that he looks back on his time with the band more fondly and with "different lenses in recent times," as opposed to when he was still "growing up."
Essentially, the now-solo artist said that the element that really made him reinspect on his decision to "disown" his time with the group was "time."
"It feels just like a happier time in my mind now, when I think of One Direction and going through them things in the band," he said.
In terms of his new project, on the other hand, Zayn also shared where his new sonic identity sprouted from: "I was pretty much on my farm having a glass of whiskey and listening to a bit of Stapleton by the fire with my dog, playing guitar."
He added that he is excited to be a part of a new wave of pop acts embracing one aspect of the Americana genre, joining shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Beyonce, Lana del Ray, and even Post Malone.
In particular, he was very vocal about his appreciation for Chris Stapleton, saying, "I could really hear their lyrics and their pain and their growth and the life lessons."
"He's got class, right? He's telling you a real grown man's story," he continued. "And I respected the f*ck out of it. I was like, 'This is cool. It's something I can do.'"
