Zayn Malik is considered a really big deal all over the world. Instep rounds up some reasons why the star’s popularity is imploding
Instep Desk
Perhaps breaking away from One Direction was an extremely calculated decision because there has been no looking back for the 23 year old musician since then. Upon his departure from the band in 2015, Zayn Malik went on to release a solo album, Mind of Mine.The album and its lead single, ‘Pillowtalk’, reached number one in several countries which made Malik the first British male artist to debut atnumber one in both the UK and USwith his debut single and debut album. But being a good singer is hardly the criteria to be considered successful in this day and age. Instep looks into why Malik is considered such a huge star.
Social media following
Today, your worth is determined by the amount of people following you on social media as it has become the biggest voice that determines trends and attitudes. Therefore, you cannot be considered a ‘true’ star if you don’t have at least a couple of million followers everywhere. But Malik goes beyond that. His social media statistics are unbelievable: over 19 million followers on Facebook, 20 million on Twitter, 15.3 million on Instagram, where his average post receives a million likes and over 10,000 comments, which means he reaches millions of people in a matter of minutes. If that’s not enough for anyone to take Malik seriously, then what is?
Fashion footing
Malik has made a strong place for himself in the world of fashion as well. It started off with Malik developing a distinct personal style, where he even got voted as British GQ‘s best dressed male in 2014. Since then, Malik is a regular at all the leading fashion weeks in the world, such as PFW and LFW. Also, who can forget Malik’s metallic robot arm at the Met Gala earlier this year?
However, a very recent announcement adds credibility to Malik’s position as a global fashion icon. Donatella Versace’s endorsement is perhaps something that every budding fashion designer dreams of, which Malik has gotten in a very short span of time. The singer is going to be designing for Versace’s sibling line ‘Versus’ and not only is he going to be designing the capsule collection, he will be modeling for it as well. According to Versace, Malik is the perfect person for the brand’s rebellious outlook towards life. "For me, Zayn was the perfect fit," she said in an interview. So basically, Malik is a fashion designer as well now.
Power couple
Of course, you can’t be a big superstar if you aren’t dating a model. It’s a bit clichéd but smart because Malik isn’t dating just any other model. He’s dating Gigi Hadid, supermodel of the moment. Hadid has worked with some of the biggest brands such as Versace, Chanel,Elie Saab,Anna Sui,Miu Miu,Balmain,Diane Von Furstenberg,Tommy Hilfiger to name a few. Also, Malik isn’t the only one to be designing for a big brand. Hadid has also designed a capsule collection for Tommy Hilfiger which was showcased in NYFW this year.
Charitable work
Malik is regularly involved with giving back to the world in the form of charity, which is why he is seen raising funds for various charities. On one occasion, Malik designed and illustrated a one-of-a-kind Marc Jacobs jacket which was to be auctioned for a charity. The charity, called Mind, advocates for the awareness of mental health. Malik is also known for opening up to his fans about the mental pressures he faces himself. Recently, he had to cancel a concert because he couldn’t overcome his social anxiety of performing in front of a large audience.
Tapping into his heritage
Thankfully, Malik isn’t ashamed of his Pakistani origin, which is why he has sung an entire song in Urdu, called ‘Intermission: Flower’. Not only that, Malik has also designed an entire clothing line consisting of pullovers, tee-shirts printed with his face, and military jackets using Urdu artwork. It was even more exciting to see Hadid also sporting a jacket saying ‘Zayn’ in Urdu.