Zayn Malik surprises fans with rare live rendition of chart-topping track

Zayn Malik gave his fans a special treat during the opening night of his Stairway to the Sky tour with a live rendition of his chart-topping hit Pillowtalk.

On Saturday, November 23, the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker took the stage at Leeds O2 Academy, surprising the crowd by performing Pillowtalk live for the very first time.

"This might be a pretty decent moment for you all, this is the first time I've ever sung this song live… this song is called PillowTalk," Malik, 31, shared before kicking off the rare performance.

"It’s good to be back up North," he added, marking the opening night of his long-awaited tour nearly a decade after his exit from One Direction.

In a heartfelt moment, the former One Direction singer also paid tribute to his late bandmate Liam Payne.

During the concert, a blue backdrop appeared with the message, "Liam Payne 1993-2024. Love you, bro," along with a red heart emoji.

Malik’s return to the stage comes just three days after attending Payne’s funeral alongside fellow One Direction members Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson, following Payne’s untimely passing at age 31 on October 16.