Zayn Malik says he regrets not appreciating his time with One Direction: 'I took things too seriously'

Zayn Malik's departure from One Direction at its peak remains one of the most shocking events in pop culture history. Eight years after he left the popular boy band, the singer has now reminisced about the good old days, regretting not taking time to appreciate his time with the boys. Zayn's confession comes on the heels of the announcement of his upcoming album, Room Under The Stairs, set to release on May 17.

Zayn on not appreciating the band

Speaking at the Zach Sang show, the singer said, “The main thing that I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough." He added, “I feel like I just took things too seriously, you know? I’m grateful that I’m able to be happier now. I can actually enjoy things and own my own perspective a bit, you know? Like, a glass half full versus it being half empty. That’s my choice.”

He mentioned that his younger self 'didn't understand the importance of just trying to be happy. “I had this, like, teen angst thing going on—a chip on my shoulder,” he added. “I’m like, ‘It’s really cool to be moody all the time.’ It’s not. Like, you’re just a loser. Let’s be honest; you know what I mean.”

Became a better person after becoming a father: Zayn

Malik said that since then, he's learned that it's important to be a nice person. You should be somebody that people want to be around and enjoy being in your presence, he said. The singer added that part of the growth in his personality has stemmed from being a father to his daughter Khai, whom he shares with ex-Gigi Hadid.

“She just makes me happier,” he said. “I have so much love in me that I didn’t have before she was born. She laughs all day. She wants to do the silliest things, and she gains so much excitement from it, you know? She just has a whole fresh perspective on life, [which] had somewhat become grey for me.”

After Zayn left the band, the remaining members, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, tried to revive the band but only met with disappointment. A year later, the band went on an indefinite hiatus.

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