ZAYN Wikia

Zain Javadd "Zayn" Malik (Urdu: زین جواد ملک‬‎; born 12 January 1993), recording mononymously as Zayn, is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Bradford, Malik aspired to pursue a career in music from a young age leading him to audition as a solo artist for the British reality television music competition, The X Factor in 2010. After being eliminated as a solo performer, Malik was brought back into the competition, along with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, and Louis Tomlinson, to form the boy band that would become known as One Direction. During his time in the group, Malik and his bandmates released the albums Up All Night (2011), Take Me Home (2012), Midnight Memories (2013), and Four (2014).

In March 2015, Malik's representative announced the singer's departure from the band. Malik signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records in 2015, with his debut studio album Mind of Mine released on March 25, 2016. The album and its lead single, "Pillowtalk", both reached number one in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, with Malik becoming the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US with his debut single and debut album. Malik is the recipient of several accolades, including an American Music Award, Billboard Music Award and a MTV Video Music Award. (source: Wikipedia)