When it was announced in March of 2015 that Zayn Malik would be disbanding from the global phenomenon known as One Direction, it was as if time was at a standstill for fans around the world. Would One Direction still be One Direction without Zayn? One Direction was always known as a five person English-Irish pop boy band, what direction would it go in once Zayn left? And would this departure lead to any more members to leave? Directioners everywhere were suddenly taking sides, supporting Zayn’s decision or turning against him for leave. On the heels of his departure, came the news of Zayn breaking his engagement with his fiancee, Perrie Edwards. It seemed as if Zayn was leaving everything that was a part of who he was, in the past. It is with great determination and ambition that Zayn set out to make a new identity, a new sound, and a new life for himself.

Even though it’s been nearly a year since the news broke of Zayn separating from the band, the arrival of his solo single last week brought about the topic of this new direction he was taking once more. During the entirety of my high school career, I was an avid directioner. And when I say avid, I mean one of those embarrassing fans; the one that goes to the concerts holding signs, joins Facebook fandom groups, and has posters of One Direction hanging all around her room. So when I found out Zayn left the band, one would assume my One Direction devoted heart shattered into a million pieces. Yet, after learning more about why Zayn left and what caused him to leave, I wholeheartedly support his decision. His reasons were not petty nor was he was being a diva, but his departure largely stemmed from a purpose to make his music what he wanted it to be. And for him, that’s not what One Direction was anymore.

So when I first listened to “Pillowtalk,” I was happy to hear music that was different than One Direction’s and more like Zayn’s. Aside from “Pillowtalk” having a more adult outlook, it’s overall sound is the complete opposite of One Direction and it’s clear that’s what Zayn wanted. For someone like me, who has an interest in many different types of musical genres, “Pillowtalk” appealed to me because of it’s similarity to music made by The Weeknd, it's R&B vibe and because it challenged Zayn to create music that he did not have a chance to explore when he was a part of One Direction. It was clear from the formation of One Direction that Zayn Malik, Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, and Niall Horan were all very talented singers with strong vocals. One Direction is still very much One Direction, and they have been constantly creating a new sound with every album they put out as well. So while Zayn branching out to release music on his own doesn’t lessen One Direction’s musical credibility, at the same time, it does put a spotlight on how strong Zayn is as an independant vocalist. And with Zayn Malik’s new venture as simply being known as Zayn the singer, I as a directioner, will remain a fan of One Direction and am now a fan of Zayn as well.th