No longer part of squeaky clean One Direction, Zayn Malik on Friday reintroduced himself as a solo artist -- sexy with an urban vibe.
The former boy band star, now simply calling himself Zayn, announced his first solo album, "Mind of Mine," which will come out on March 25, and released its first single, "Pillowtalk."
A far cry from the innocent tracks of One Direction, "Pillowtalk" features sex, profanity and a racy video in which Zayn dances intimately with model Gigi Hadid in states of undress.
Zayn promises in the song to "be in bed all day," taking a lover to "a place that is so pure, so dirty and raw."
"It's our paradise and it's our war zone," he sings.
In a striking lyrical touch for one of the most prominent Muslims in Western entertainment, Zayn uses religious imagery to further the song's theme.
"Pillowtalk -- my enemy, my Allah," he sings.
READ: One Direction to split for year after new album - report
The 23-year-old Briton recorded the album largely in Los Angeles with the producer Malay, who is best known for his work with Frank Ocean.
In a likely sign of Malay's influence, the music on "Pillowtalk" is noticeably inspired by urban American R&B, moving away from the bubble-gum pop of One Direction.
PHOTO ALBUM: One Direction: Goodbye Zayn
The album will come out exactly one year after Malik left One Direction, the band that emerged from "The X Factor" television contest in 2010 to become one of the world's best-selling acts.
Despite packing arenas full of screaming teenagers, Zayn said in an interview just ahead of the release of "Pillowtalk" that he had long been unhappy in One Direction.
"I never really wanted to be there in the band," he told Zane Lowe, the head DJ for Apple's Beats 1 radio.
"I just gave it a go because it was there at the time and then when I realized the direction we were going in -- pardon the pun -- with the music, I instantly realized it wasn't for me," he said.
"I couldn't put my input in, I couldn't give my opinion on this or that, because it didn't fit," he said.
Zayn's former band mates in November released a first album without him, "Made in the A.M.," and went on an indefinite hiatus, with member Louis Tomlinson last week becoming a father.
AFP
Fri Jan 29 2016
The 23-year-old Briton recorded the album largely in Los Angeles with the producer Malay, who is best known for his work with Frank Ocean.
Trump says he will prevent transgender athletes from participating in women's sports
Donald Trump says he will take action to "keep men out of women's sports."
ASEAN tells Myanmar junta peace, not election, is priority
Malaysia wants to know what Myanmar has in mind, says Malaysian Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan.
Malaysia central bank to hold key rate at 3.0% through end-2025
BNM's outlook aligns with poll results, which suggest it will avoid easing this year to prevent the currency from weakening further.
What we know about the Gaza hostage and prisoner exchange
During the first phase of the ceasefire, the Israeli army will pull back from some positions in Gaza.
Ringgit edges up ahead of Trump’s inauguration
Traders are becoming increasingly anxious about what might be announced by the US President, says Dr Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid.
Trump promises 'brand new day,' harsh immigration limits at pre-inauguration victory rally
Trump repeated his campaign pledge to launch the largest deportation effort in U.S. history, which would remove millions of immigrants.
TikTok is restoring service, thanks Trump
"Frankly, we have no choice. We have to save it," Trump said at a rally on Sunday ahead of his inauguration.
Hamas frees hostages, Israel releases Palestinian prisoners on Day One of ceasefire
The truce allowed Palestinians to return to bombed-out neighborhoods to begin rebuilding their lives, while relief trucks delivered much-needed aid.
What to expect on Trump's Inauguration Day
Here's what we know about Inauguration Day so far.
Reflections from London: Shaping bilateral ties with a more active UK
Over the past five years, there have been notable developments in the United Kingdom's approach to the Asia-Pacific region.
Meta drops fact checkers in US, what does this mean for the world?
Fact-checking organisations said the move could encourage hate speech online and fuel violence offline.
Trump's inauguration marks new era for cryptocurrency
The crypto industry hopes the incoming Donald Trump administration will mark a shift in policy.
China's Lunar New Year travel rush: World's biggest annual migration
This year's travel rush comes as China extended the official Spring Festival break by one day to eight days.
Experts warn against children snoring during sleep
Some may think that snoring is a common occurrence during sleep and does not require treatment.
Younger workers more likely to suffer burnout as generation gap grows
There's a need to rebuild bridges and open up conversations on changing attitudes and expectations around work, says Brian Dow.
INSIGHT - How bond vigilantes could check Trump's power
As Donald Trump takes office on January 20, concerns over bond vigilantes in the US have resurfaced, according to several market experts.
Trump look-alike sings to sell pudding in Pakistan
A food vendor who locals say bears an uncanny resemblance to US President-elect Donald Trump gets more business and attention than others.
Tokyo museum offers visitors 'flashback' to defunct technology
From Betacam videotapes to floppy disks and vintage Sony devices, the museum is a showcase for old cameras and telecom equipment.
Australian scientists discover bigger species of deadly funnel web spiders
Sscientists say, the "Big Boy" would be classified as a separate species of funnel-web spider.
Biden or Trump can still rescue TikTok; here's how
So how could Trump or Biden prevent TikTok from going dark?