NEED TO KNOW
Zayn Malik is getting something off his chest through his new music.
On Saturday, July 5, the singer, 32, shared a post on Instagram, previewing a new rap song, titled “Fuchsia Sea.”
In the lyrics, Malik appears to allude to the racism he faced while a member of One Direction with Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and the late Liam Payne. (Malik was a member of the boy band from 2010 to 2015.)
“Got my back against the wall so much they think I got a brick fascination / Do you remember every conversation? ‘Cause I have been conscious of every connotation,” Malik recites in the song snippet.
“And while they concentrate on their elevation, I’ve got a round trip to the constellation / I’m a convert to the concert, and I did that for inflation, ’cause I worked hard in a White band, and they still laughed at the Asian,” he continued.
Malik teased in his post that the song would be “coming soon,” and he shared the lyrics from the track in a separate post on his Instagram Stories.
Zayn Malik/Instagram
Malik’s teaser about new music comes after he marked the tenth anniversary of his exit from One Direction while performing in concert back in March. He exited the group after five years, leaving the other members to carry on as a foursome.
During his Stairway to the Sky tour stop in Mexico City, the singer performed the One Direction hit “Night Changes” from the band’s album Four.
In fan footage posted on X, Malik told the crowd, “It’s the first time I’ve sung that song in 10 years. Thank you, that was f—— amazing. I almost cried.”
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Malik joined Styles, 31, Tomlinson, 33, Horan, 33, and Payne — who died at age 31 in October 2024 —when the group was formed on The X Factor U.K. in 2010.
In March 2015, when he announced via One Direction’s Facebook page that he was leaving, Malik said, “I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band.”
Kevin Mazur/WireImage
“I’d like to apologize to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart,” he continued. “I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight. I know I have four friends for life in Louis, Liam, Harry and Niall.”
Malik reunited with his former band members for the first time publicly as they attended Payne’s funeral in England in November 2024.