Zayn Malik Admits: ‘I’ll Always Love Perrie Edwards’

Almost nine months after he sensationally quit the biggest boyband on the planet, former One Direction star, Zayn Malik, has given his first interview to FADER magazine, and he certainly had a lot to say.

Addressing everything from Perrie Edwards to Bollywood music, the 22-year-old appeared to relish in clearing up every single rumour that has come his way since leaving the band - even if it isn’t what the fans necessarily want to hear.

Copyright: Francesco Nazardo for The FADER.

After ditching his 1D bandmates, and then his seemingly new best mate, Naughty Boy, Zayn shocked everybody when he dumped his fiancee, Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards, over the summer, with it being claimed that he’d heartlessly ended their serious relationship via text message.

However, Zayn has now insisted that this is not the case, telling the magazine: “I have more respect Perrie then to end anything over text message. I love her a lot, and I always will.

“I would never end our relationship of four years like that. She knows that, I know that, and the public should know that as well. I don’t want to explain why or what I did, I just want the public to know I didn’t do that.”

And while he was on the topic of relationships, the Bradford singer also opened up about where he stands with his former bandmates - admitting that he has only just got back onto speaking terms with Liam Payne.

“I spoke to Liam about two weeks ago,” he explains, “It was the first time I’d spoken to him since I left the band, I rung him and he wanted to talk.

“He said he didn’t understand it at the time, but now he fully gets why I had to what I did.”

And thankfully, it looks like absence really does make the heart grow fonder, as the duo plan on working together again in the very near future, with Zayn adding: “He understands that it’s my thing, that I had to do that, and that basically he wants to meet up and sit down and have a good chat in person.

“He wants to do some music and work on some stuff aside from being in the band, which we always wanted to do anyway.”

Copyright: Francesco Nazardo for The FADER.

Needless to say, we can’t wait to see what they come up with.

When it was announced that Zayn had decided to leave the band, a statement read that he’d ditched the fame game in order to be “a normal 22-year-old”, but the star has now taken the opportunity to give the real, much deeper reason why he’d had enough.

He reveals: “A big part of why I left the band is I made the realization that it wasn’t actually about [being the biggest] anymore. It wasn’t about the amount of ticket sales that I get.

“It was more about the people that I reach. I want to reach them in the right way, and I want them to believe what I’m saying. I’ve done enough in terms of financial backing for me to live comfortably.

“I just want to make music now. If people want to listen to that, then I’m happy. If they don’t want to listen to it, then don’t f*cking listen to it. I’m cool with that too.

Copyright: Francesco Nazardo for The FADER.

“I’ve got enough. I don’t need you to buy it on a mass scale for me to feel satisfied.”

Zayn is expected to release his debut solo music early next year.