It has been nearly a year since Zayn Malik bid farewell to One Direction, a departure that left fans devastated and caused “hundreds” of employees to seek compassionate leave.
In the time since his exit, Malik has embarked on a journey of self-discovery, diverging from the music style associated with 1D, experimenting with his appearance by growing a beard and sporting blonde, green, and pink hair.
Recently, he disclosed that he was actually prohibited from making such personal choices while part of the group.
According to Malik, who has consistently maintained facial hair post-1D, he faced “limitations” during his tenure in the renowned boyband.
The ban on keeping his beard was imposed to prevent him from appearing significantly older than his bandmates Louis Tomlinson, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Liam Payne.
However, as he matured, he chose to defy these restrictions, leading to his distinctive facial hair style from around 2014 onwards.
“I eventually rebelled against the constraints and opted to retain my beard despite the rules,” Malik shared.
“This decision stemmed from the fact that I seemed older than the others.
It has now become a defining aspect of my image.
Moreover, I had a desire to color my hair back then, but it was not permitted.”
In a recent conversation with Complex, the 23-year-old artist candidly described himself as somewhat of a “difficult celebrity.”
He expressed aspirations of pursuing an English degree post-album release and acknowledged grappling with the intense scrutiny surrounding his relationship with model Gigi Hadid.
