“I worked hard in a white band” — Zayn Malik reveals he faced racism during One Direction days

Zayn Malik is opening up about the racism he says he experienced during his time with One Direction, reflecting on it in the lyrics of his upcoming song, Fuchsia Sea.

The British singer, 32, who is of Pakistani, English, and Irish descent, shared a snippet of a new track on Instagram over the weekend.

In the song, Malik raps about feeling like an outsider during his years in the globally famous boy band.

“I worked hard in a white band, and they still laughed at the Asian,” he raps, adding lines like,
“Got my back against the wall so much they think I got a brick fascination.
I’ve been conscious of every connotation while they concentrate on their elevation.”

Fans flooded the comments section with support.“I am so proud,” one wrote. Another added, “King is back,” while a third simply celebrated, “We won.”

Malik rose to fame as part of One Direction, formed on The X Factor in 2010 alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne. The group became a global phenomenon, but Malik left in 2015 to pursue a solo career. The remaining members went on an indefinite hiatus the following year.

Malik has generally kept a low profile in recent years, especially after his split from model Gigi Hadid, with whom he shares a 4-year-old daughter, Khai. However, he has been making a slow return to the spotlight, including performing earlier this year on his Stairway To The Sky Tour.

Before Payne’s death, rumors of a One Direction reunion had been swirling. In 2023, Harry Styles hinted on The Late Late Show that he’d never completely rule out the possibility of the band coming together again.

“I think I would never say never to that. If there was a time when we wanted to do it, I don’t see why we wouldn’t,” Styles said at the time.

Meanwhile, Malik’s latest lyrics shed light on a side of his experience in the band that fans rarely heard about, feeling alienated due to his background.

Source: LIB