The Internet is a wonderful place. Zayn Malik, young musician and former member of the band One Direction (1D to its friends), decided to go solo and uploaded his soon to be released video on YouTube on 28 January 2016. Within just a few days it has well over 23 million views. Within just minutes of being released, the solo song called Pillow Talk was trending on social media worldwide. The song shot up to No 1 in 60 countries including the artiste’s home the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. #BuyPillowTalkOniTunes became a top Twitter trend.

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The Zayn Malik and the 1D Phenomenon

One Direction on tour in April 2012

At age 17, Zayn Malik, born of a British Pakistani father and English mother, auditioned for the reality TV show The X Factor. He didn’t reach the finals of the competition, but the judges suggested that Malik form a group with other contest participants Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. The group came to be known as One Direction, the boy band that went on to achieve phenomenal success since they first started touring in February 2011 and came out with their debut album What Makes You Beautiful in September of the same year.

Zayn Malik

Zyan Malik

In March 2015 Zayn Malik exited the band reportedly to concentrate on his relationship with his then fiancé Perrie Edwards of the Little Mix band and because of the toll constant touring was taking on the their relationship. As of 1 February 2016, Harry Styles also exited One Direction.

Zayn Malik Pillow Talk

So what is Pillow Talk about?

Zayn Malik and Gigi Hadid in Pillow Talk

Pillow Talk is a pre release track from the album called Mind of Mine, which is slated for release in March this year. In a recent interview, Malik indicated that songs on this album refer to his breakup with Perrie Edwards in August last year. The Pillow Talk video features Malik’s alleged new girlfriend, model Gigi Hadid. The video is reasonably steamy and the two have been seen together on several occasions, though Malik sought to clarify that the two are only good friends.

Now that he has gone solo, Zayn says that he never really wanted to be a part of a group. Apparently he “always wanted to go (solo), from the first year really”… stayed on just long enough to be madly successful it would seem. Well so far the move to go solo seems to have made a lot of sense for Malik.

Meanwhile watch Pillow Talk here; a strangely compelling track after a couple of listens.

Author: Reena Daruwalla