Zayn Malik’s song ‘Intermission: Flower’ was inspired by his father.
The 23-year-old musician has opened up about the tracks on his debut solo album ‘Mind of Mine’, and says he penned the short song – sung in his father’s native language Urdu – because he wanted to "please" his dad.
Speaking in his upcoming book ‘Zayn’, he said: "[My dad] wanted the best for me, and I wanted to please him in return … I wanted to show him, as much as everyone else, that I could do it, and once the tracks started coming together with Malay and a number of other producers I’d been working with, I began to feel that I was really able to express myself vocally and I hoped my parents were going to see it from my side.
"Man, I know if Dad was to hear me sing like this,’ I said to Malay [his producer] one time, ‘it would mean everything.’"
And the One Direction member – who is in a relationship with model Gigi Hadid – also detailed how the song was influenced by the Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, a musician who his dad was a fan of.
The ‘Pillowtalk’ hitmaker explained: "[Malay and I] were talking about the Pakistani musician Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I was really into him, because my dad had played his music a lot at home; I loved that the dude sang in Urdu, for one thing.
"Malay picked up the [guitar] and began playing a little riff, based on an idea I’d shown him earlier that day – a melody I’d been playing with. He added a few twists and, immediately, it sounded amazing.
"I was like, ‘Man, this is so cool. We should record some of this. And I think I want to sing this one in Urdu, like Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.’"
The star also detailed how the track was largely improvised, and said the lyrics translate to: "Until the flower of this love has blossomed / This heart won’t be at peace / Give me your heart…."
Zayn’s tell-all memoir will be released on November 1.
Zayn Malik’s dad inspired his music
