Zayn Malik recalls the racism he experienced at height of One Direction fame
In a preview of his upcoming song, Fuchsia Sea, Zayn Malik has addressed the racism he experienced during his time in One Direction. The 32-year-old British singer gave fans a first listen to the new track on Saturday along with a short video.
Zayn shot to fame as a member of One Direction, performing alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne. They skyrocketed into fame after appearing on X-Factor in 2010 before he parted ways in 2015.
In the new song, Zayn raps: '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. 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.'
The singer shared a snippet of the song on Instagram, along with a video where he has his back to the camera as he is walking down a corridor. He also typed the lyrics in an Instagram story.
The father-of-one, who shares four-year-old daughter Khai with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, has also addressed racism in music in the past. In a leaked song called Yellow Metal (Cathartic), Zayn wrote the lyrics: 'Said I had a problem with hittin' the kids that would call me paki, still sittin' in classroom chillin', I'm angry now that I'm older 'cause I see they treat us different, Got me thinking I'm the problem 'cause they never dealt with these issues'.
The singer also wrote: 'Twenty years later, I'm still in the same boat, tryna treat me like my grandpa, say I came up off the boat.'
5 years after One Direction was formed via The X Factor in 2010, Zayn decided to go his separate ways and said he wanted to be a 'normal' 22-year-old' and take some time away from the spotlight.
He announced the news via the group's Facebook page and wrote: 'I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band,' he said in a statement.
Zayn added: '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. 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.'
Elsewhere in Zayn's life, he previously opened up about his daughter Khai and said that she 'brought him back to life'.
Speaking on the Zach Sang Show, he said: 'I feel like my daughter brought that colour back in my life. She just makes me happy. 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. She just has a whole fresh perspective on life that had somewhat become grey for me."
Zayn continued: "She's a force of nature. She's given me maturity. She's forced my sensibility to become this mature father for her, this good responsible role model that takes accountability for their actions and sticks to their work and proves that my word is bond."
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