Zayn goes shirtless for Complex magazine, talks ‘sexual’ new album
By Ben Kelly
Zayn Malik has spoken about living a restricted life in One Direction, his caution over speaking about faith, and his “very sexual album” in a new interview.
Speaking to Complex magazine, Zayn says that the suppression of his individual identity during his time in the world’s biggest boy band was something that became too much for him.
“That was something that was always underlying, and ended up as the main factor of me leaving in the end,” he says. “It was about denying the authenticity of who I was, and what I enjoyed about music, and why I got into it. That was always there. It was one of the things that wasn’t going to go away, so I had to go away.”
As for the specifics? He was told to get rid of his beard.
“Honestly. I wasn’t allowed to keep it,” he says. “Eventually, when I got older, I rebelled against it, and decided to keep it anyway. That was just because I looked older than the rest of them. That’s one of the things that is now quite cool. I get to keep my beard. I also wanted to dye my hair when I was in the band, but I wasn’t allowed to.”
Speaking about his debut album Mind of Mine, to be released on March 25, Zayn says he’d be happy for people to have sex to it.
“If that’s something that they would choose to do, then yeah,” he laughs. “It’s a very sexual album. I’m sure it could fit into that scenario.”
Regarding his religion, Zayn says he’s reluctant to become a spokesperson for anything until knows more about certain subjects.
“There may be a time where I feel like I have something to say about a certain topic,” he says, “and I’m educated enough and armed with the exact information I need before I make a statement that doesn’t offend anybody. Then I will do that. But in today’s day and age, it’s very hard to make any sort of statement that doesn’t offend somebody.”
Zayn caused some controversy in 2014 when he tweeted #FreePalestine, in reference to that summer’s war in Gaza. However, he does admit he’s kept an eye on the political discourse in the UK and the U.S, particularly around Muslims.
“I see everything,” he says. “I see the political thing. I see the Trump thing. I see it on the news. They are saying, ‘Does this mean Zayn Malik has to leave America?’ These things are always there. I see what’s going on, but I’ll never be the person that will make some sort of statement.
“I never want to make anybody biased toward anything. I could have an opinion, but that’s my opinion. That’s the main thing for me. I don’t want to influence anybody’s brain in any sort of way.”
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