Zayn Malik Biography

Zayn Malik is an English-Pakistani singer who made a name as a member of the singing group One Direction. He grew up outside of Bradford, England and got his big break when his mom pushed him to audition for the television talent show The X Factor when he was 17. Instead of continuing as a soloist, he was thrown together with Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson to form the group One Direction. They finished third in the contest, but earned a recording contract in 2011 from producer Simon Cowell and hit the road, touring the United Kingdom while their debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” shot to the top of the charts. With One Direction, Malik became an international pop star, known in the gossip sheets for dating other contestants of the X Factor, including Geneva Lane (season 7), Rebecca Ferguson (season 7) and Perrie Edwards (season 8). After a string of hits through 2014, Malik announced in March of 2015 that he was leaving the group. One Direction’s albums include Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012) and Midnight Memories (2013).