Zayn Malik Releases 1st Solo Song After One Direction
Singer releases a demo less than a week after leaving the band.
— -- Zayn Malik is wasting no time.
Less than a week after announcing his split from the British boy band One Direction, Malik has debuted his first solo track.
The low-key ballad, which features Malik's hypnotic vocals over a simple acoustic guitar, is titled "I Won't Mind." It was released on Soundcloud and, later, YouTube on Monday night.
The 22-year-old singer's rep confirmed to ABC News that it is, indeed, Malik on vocals but offered no other comment.
Malik has remained mum, as well. But the song's producer, Naughty Boy, who recently worked with Sam Smith, has been very vocal, even getting into a bit of a Twitter feud with Malik's former bandmate, Louis Tomlinson.
It all started when Naughty Boy retweeted a video with the words, "Naughty Boy Saved My Life Zaughty."
Tomlinson took it to be a reference to Malik leaving the band and fired back.
"Wow @NaughtyBoyMusic you're so inconsiderate pal," he wrote. "Seriously how f****** old are you? Grow up! #masterofallwisdom."
Naughty Boy denied that he was sending a message about Malik. Then he tweeted:
when ur gettin hate for some thing u didn't do, a bit of love can go a long way, that's why I retweeted, time will tell the real story guys
— Naughty Boy (@NaughtyBoyMusic) March 31, 2015
Then, as if to put an end to the argument, Naughty Boy posted a link to Malik's demo.
let the music do the talking guys. thank us later. :) x https://t.co/j7V2c7v1Yl
— Naughty Boy (@NaughtyBoyMusic) March 31, 2015
The Soundcloud link was later taken down, perhaps after One Direction fans got wind of the beef and went after Naughty Boy. But the track reappeared in the YouTube video below.