The star was just 17 when he joined the band. (Getty)
Zayn Malik has opened up about his time in One Direction, saying that he regrets his “teen angst” while in the band.
The British singer — who was the first to depart the X-Factor boy band in 2015 — said in a recent interview that he “didn’t understand the importance of just trying to be happy”.
Malik was just 17 when he and members Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson were thrust into the limelight.
He appeared on the Zach Sang Show to speak about his upcoming album, Room Under The Stairs. He said: “The main thing that I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough.
“I feel like I just took things too seriously, you know? I’m grateful that I’m able to be happier now. I can actually enjoy things and own my own perspective a bit, you know? Like, glass half full versus it being half empty. That’s my choice.”
He said: “I had this, like, teen angst thing going on — chip on my shoulder. I’m like, ‘It’s really cool to be moody as f**k all the time….’ It’s not. Like, you’re just a loser. Let’s be honest, you know what I mean?”
The star continued, saying: “You should be a nice person. You should be somebody that people want to be around and enjoy being in your presence, and you should bring light to peoples’ day instead of being this f**king negative cloud of energy.”
The “Tu Hai Kahan” singer also talked about his daughter Khai, whom he co-parents with his ex Gigi Hadid, for bringing him “a whole fresh perspective on life”.
“She just makes me happier — I have so much love in me that I didn’t have before she was born,” he added. “She laughs all day. She wants to do the silliest things, and she gains so much excitement from it, you know?”