Zayn Malik refuses to jump on 'bandwagon' in solo musical career

Zayn Malik recently turned down the idea of jumping on bandwagons when it comes to his music career. 

Speaking to Nylon of his inspiration of his upcoming album Room Under the Stairs on Tuesday, May 14, the One Direction alum said: "I was pretty much on my farm having a glass of whiskey and listening to a bit of [Chris] Stapleton by the fire with my dog, playing guitar."

However, Zayn emphasised that he specifically didn’t join others, worrying about comparisons to people like Beyonce, Post Malone, and other pop acts.

He said: "People need to know I didn’t jump on the bandwagon."

Zayn, who recently opened up about his past relationships, elaborated on his approach to music and believed that he had a more meaningful contribution to it. 

"People are in search of a little bit more depth from the lyrics. In the Top 40 charts, a lot of mainstream music feels a bit wishy-washy. The songs are f—ing fire. You know what I mean? They’re catchy. They’re playing on the radio and they do their job, but people are looking for a little bit more," he said. 

Malik then doubled down on how much Stapleton inspired him as well as Willie Nelson.

The 31-year-old explained: "I could really hear their lyrics and their pain and their growth and the life lessons."

For the unversed, Zayn is gearing up for the release of Room Under the Stairs, which marks as the star’s first full-length project after 2021’s Nobody is Listening.