Former One Direction member Zayn Malik, who broke fans’ hearts when he left the band in March, has announced that he has signed to RCA records, where he intends to make what he described on Twitter as #realmusic.
Malik tweeted that he had left the band “to show you who I really am”. He is working with R&B producer Malay, who has collaborated with singers including Frank Ocean and John Legend, and has signed with Iggy Azalea’s management company Turn First, where he will be guided by the same person, Sarah Stennett, in charge of the Australian rapper, suggesting that his new direction will be more adult and less pop than One Direction’s.
I guess I never explained why I left , it was for this moment to be given the opportunity to show you who i really am! #realmusic #RCA !!
— zaynmalik (@zaynmalik) July 29, 2015
The 22-year-old, who initially claimed that he was leaving One Direction in order to be “a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight” is the latest in a long line of pop stars who have left successful bands in order to pursue music they feel is more authentic, as opposed to the “manufactured” material that made them famous.
The pioneer was George Michael, who left Wham! to make more adult music as a solo artist. The plan worked when his debut album Faith made him globally famous, selling 25m copies. In the 90s, Robbie Williams followed a similar trajectory from Take That to solo success though, unlike Michael, he never managed to have hits in America.
— zaynmalik (@zaynmalik) July 29, 2015
However, Michael and Williams are exceptions. It remains to be seen whether Malik will be able to follow in their footsteps. Earlier this year he worked with British dance-pop producer Naughty Boy, but the relationship came to a sticky end on Twitter after Malik accused the producer of leaking their collaboration.
@NaughtyBoyMusic you fat joke stop pretending we're friends no one knows you .
— zaynmalik (@zaynmalik) July 13, 2015
Noel Gallagher recently expressed scepticism about Malik’s prospects, telling Rolling Stone: “I laughed out loud when I read it ‘ ‘I just want to be a normal 22-year-old.’ ... I’ll say this to you, Zayn: You might have wanted to be a normal 22-year-old, but you won’t want to be a normal 25-year-old.”
