Zayn Malik Reveals He Always Planned to Leave One Direction: Slams Band's Music

Former One Direction star Zayn Malik opened up for the first time about his decision to leave the band. Malik said he planned to leave the boy band from the start, since the formation of the group on the UK's The X Factor.  He already knew he didn't want to be in a boy band and wanted to go home. In his new interview, he also discusses his split from fiancee Perrie Edwards.

The new interview with Fader comes just days after One Direction released their fifth album. Malik explained his decision to leave the British boy band. Malik admits he's never been a fan of his former band's music.

He told the publication, "That's not music that I would listen to. Would you listen to One Direction, sat at a party with your girl? I wouldn't."

He went on to explain, "I don't think that's an offensive statement to make. That's just not who I am. If I was sat at a dinner date with a girl, I would play some cool sh*t, you know what I mean? I want to make music that I think is cool sh*t. I don't think that's too much to ask for."

 Cover Story: @zayn's next direction. Hit the bio link to read the first of two Now Issue stories from FADER 101, and follow @thefaderuk for exclusives from his cover shoot. Photo by @francesco_nazardo for The FADER.

A photo posted by The FADER (@thefader) on Nov 17, 2015 at 2:27pm PST

The now-solo artist admits he immediately realized on The X-Factor that he didn't want to be part of a boy band.

He explained, "I guess I just wanted to go home from the beginning. I was always thinking it. I just didn't know when I was going to do it. Then, by the time I decided to go, it just felt right on that day. I woke up on that morning, if I'm being completely honest with you, and was like, 'I need to go home. I just need to be me now, because I've had enough.'"

"I was with my little cousin at the time," he adds. "We were sat in the hotel room and I was just, 'Should I go home?' And he was like, 'If you want to go home, let's go home'. So we left."

Malik went on to state that he realized his career wasn't about ticket sales or being the biggest star; his main goal is to reach people with his music. The former boy-bander has been working with Frank Ocean's producer Malay on his solo debut album. Malik said every music note and lyric will be meaningful to him and about his life.

He wanted to clarify that there were no secret friendships with any of the members of 1D. He said of their fans, "They're so passionate, and once they get their head around an idea, that's the way it is regardless of anything. If it wasn't for that passionate, like, almost obsession, then we wouldn't have the success that we had."

“I’m working every day now, but I’m working on music that I enjoy.” ~ @zayn. Hit the bio link to read "Next Direction," the first of two Now Issue cover stories. Photo by @francesco_nazardo for The FADER. A photo posted by The FADER (@thefader) on Nov 17, 2015 at 5:07pm PST

Malik also addressed the rumor in his interview that he broke up with his fiancee, Perrie Edwards, in a text message. He revealed, "If you could word it exactly this way, I'd be very appreciative...I have more respect for Perrie than to end anything over text message. I love her a lot, and I always will, and I would never end our relationship over four years like that. She knows that, I know that, and the public should know that as well. I don't want to explain why or what I did, I just want the public to know I didn't do that."