A Farewell to Zayn Malik

By now, you all probably know this. The real life Aladdin, Zayn Malik, has left One Direction.

If you didn't know that, I'll give you a few moments to process. Take your time.

For those of you who already knew, I know how you must be feeling. It's been a couple weeks, but that doesn't mean this new wound has lost any of its sting. With his dismal reason being "due to mental health," we 1D fans have been forced to come to terms with his absence and respect that he's doing what's best for his well being. We still feel a bit hurt, and probably a bit betrayed, but these wounds will heal in due time.

Apparently leaving 1D for his "mental health" didn't mean leaving show business, which is interesting. If you're an avid fan, you'll know about the drama that popped up between the boys and Naughty Boy.

After a brief Google search (as I had no idea who Naughty Boy was), I learned that he isn't very well-liked. Not just by 1D fans, but by anyone. Varied accusations have been thrown at him from all sides. Aside from that, the boys have recorded with him a few times, and after all the drama of Zayn leaving, when the fans were still recovering, Naughty Boy drops this demo of Zayn out of nowhere, enraging the internet. (Literally. Check out Louis Tomlinson's and Naughty Boy's Twitters and you'll see the drama unfold.)

All that aside, the demo is beautiful.

But, we have to wonder. If the stress of being famous wasn't what made him leave One Direction—which it obviously wasn't because he's still recording music—then why did he really leave?

Not that I'm happy he isn't trying to completely leave the limelight. He's too talented and too ridiculously handsome to never be famous again. (I mean, he's Zayn Malik. Come on.)

Even though he'll still be making music (apparently), it won't be the same. We've had five beautiful years of a world with One Direction in it, and now we have to move on into this uncharted new landscape of 1D without Zayn.

I got to go on the Midnight Memories tour in Dallas, TX on August 24 of last year. I got to see the last One Direction tour with Zayn Malik.

This is me and Abby White, another junior Delta Zeta, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Whatever happens next, One Direction says they're staying together. They're continuing as a four-piece and will begin recording their next album later this year. (I guess "Four" was a prophetic title for their last one, huh? Too soon?) And if Zayn comes out with more music, we'll still get to hear his beautiful voice coming through our speakers.

Hey who knows, maybe Zayn is just trying to be the next Justin Timberlake of this boy-band era.

What do you think? Was leaving One Direction a mistake for Zayn, or is the band about to go downhill without him? Why do you think he really left 1D?