Zayn fans heartbroken as he addresses devastating racist abuse during 1D
Zayn Malik has been inundated with support after opening up about his experiences with racism. The singer, who found fame as one-fifth of One Direction, shed light on his own experiences in a new song.
The Bradford-born musician, born Zain Javadd Malik has been on the receiving end of terrible social media abuse due to his appearance and growing up as a Muslim. In 2015, a TV host, Bill Maher, claimed that Zayn looked like the 2013 Boston marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev during a discussion about his departure from One Direction.
Those in the audience were heard letting out an audible gasp after Maher's comments. Controversial musician Azealia Banks also had her X, formerly known as Twitter, access revoked after she made racist comments towards the singer in 2016 due to his heritage. She later apologised for her post, saying: "I apologise not only to you, Zayn, but to all those I hurt and offended."
Now, Zayn has been praised for speaking up about what he has experienced in a new song, titled Fuchsia Sea. Lyrics from the track include: "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."
"I'm so proud of you," said one fan on social media after Zayn debuted the record. A second added: "I'm so proud of Zayn for publicly acknowledging the racism/islamophobia he's faced, specifically from what must've been an extremely isolating experience as the only POC in a white band."
Another penned: "Everybody who says Zayn didn't face racism in the 1D days needs to shut the f**k up!!! My man was getting dragged left and right just because he was Muslim, don't get me started or I'll lose it! He has every right to talk about his experience, and he is not shading anyone come on."
Meanwhile, a fourth fumed on X: "Zayn proudly declaring his Asian roots even more over the years despite all the racism he faced will always make me proud. Coz he could've have easily white washed himself & only identified as European. But people wanna act shocked that he's Asian."
There is nothing to suggest that the lyrics are aimed at any of Zayn's former bandmates, with whom he has since rekindled his friendship following his departure from the chart-topping mega band in 2015. But this isn't the first time he has spoken about his experiences.
In another track, Yellow Metal (Catharctic), Zayn penned the lyrics: "Said I had a problem with hittin' the kids that would call me P**i, 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."
A second verse added: "Ain't many of me around, P**i, I'm just different." In 2012, Zayn spoke to The Sun after he was cruelly branded a terrorist. He told the outlet: "Nasty things [were said] like I'm a terrorist, and this and that. How can you justify that? How can you call me that and get away with it?"
The singer brushed the comments off but admits that the vile slurs affected his family, which in turn, upset him. He added: "You can say whatever you want about me, I'm not really bothered. But when it starts to upset people I care about or I hear about it from my mum, then that's a problem. I thought we'd moved forward. If that was said to me on the street or if someone said it to me to my face or whatever then something could be done about it."
He also previously spoke openly about the differences he faced to his former bandmates during their first trip to America. Speaking to the Evening Standard, Zayn said: "The first time I came to America, I had three security checks before I got on the plane. First, they said that I'd been randomly selected, and then they said it was something to do with my name — it was flagging something on their system.
"It was like a movie. They kept me there for three hours, questioning me about all kinds of crazy stuff. I was 17, my first time in America, jet-lagged off the plane, confused. The same thing happened the next time too."
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Following the backlash, Wallace apologised for any 'offence' or 'upset' he caused with his remarks and said he would 'take some time out'. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said politicians should be ready to put in place 'mechanisms' that would instil 'confidence' that women will be taken seriously in reports of inappropriate behaviour after a Labour MP asked him about 'women of a certain age', reflecting comments Wallace apologised for. MasterChef co-presenter John Torode said in a social media post that he 'loves being part of' the programme and 'will continue to be a part of it'. Wallace told the Daily Mail he 'thought about suicide all the time' after allegations of misconduct were made against him. Wallace was sacked as MasterChef presenter following the inquiry into his alleged misconduct by production company Banijay. BBC News said it had not seen the final review from Banijay but understood the presenter had been sacked. 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