Zayn Malik references racism he faced as One Direction member in new song
Zayn Malik (pic) is baring his soul through music once again — and this time, he's seemingly confronting the racism he faced as the only South Asian member of the global pop phenomenon One Direction.
On Saturday, the 32-year-old singer previewed a snippet of his upcoming track Fuchsia Sea on Instagram. The emotionally charged rap sees Malik delve into themes of erasure, tokenism and racial prejudice, offering a rare and pointed reflection on his time in the boy band that catapulted him to global stardom.
'I worked hard in a White band, and they still laughed at the Asian,' Malik raps in the teaser, adding, 'Got my back against the wall so much they think I got a brick fascination… I've got a round trip to the constellation.'
Fans immediately picked up on the references to his experience in One Direction — where he was the only non-white member alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne. The group, formed in 2010 on The X Factor UK, became a worldwide sensation before Malik's abrupt departure in 2015.
While Malik has spoken in the past about mental health struggles and wanting privacy, this appears to be the first time he has publicly suggested that racial dynamics within the group or industry may have played a role in his decision to leave.
The lyrics struck a chord with many listeners, particularly South Asian fans who have long celebrated Malik as one of the few brown artistes to break into mainstream Western pop.
The release tease comes months after Malik marked the 10th anniversary of his One Direction exit by performing the band's ballad Night Changes during his Stairway To The Sky tour stop in Mexico City. 'It's the first time I've sung that song in 10 years,' he told the crowd. 'Thank you, that was (expletive) amazing. I almost cried.'
Malik has maintained a relatively low profile since leaving the group but re-entered the public eye earlier this year when he reunited with Styles, Tomlinson, and Horan at Payne's funeral in November 2024.
For now, Fuchsia Sea remains unreleased, but Malik's brief clip is making waves as a long-overdue reckoning. – Dawn/Asia News Network
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