Zayn Malik is set to release a song about facing racism during his time in One Direction.
The 32-year-old pop star shot to fame alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and the late Liam Payne in one of the biggest boy bands in the world in 2010.
Zayn quit the What Makes You Beautiful group in 2015, and pursued a solo career.
He’s now previewed a track called Fuchsia Sea on Instagram, on which he sings: “I worked hard in a white band / And they still laughed at the Asian.”
A song of the same name already appeared on Zayn’s 2024 solo album Room Under The Stairs, so it’s unclear whether it’s simply been updated or will be a new song entirely.
The clip of the song teases that it’s “coming soon”.
He captioned the post: “Zaddy’s home.”
Zayn – who is of Pakistani heritage on his father’s side – was previously compared to suspected terrorist Dzhokhar Tsarnaev by Bill Maher on late-night television in the US, leading to a petition for him to apologise.
Opening about the racism he’s faced, Zayn told The Sun in 2012: “Nasty things [were said] like I’m a terrorist, and this and that.
“How can you justify that? How can you call me that and get away with it?”
Meanwhile, Zayn “almost cried” as he sang One Direction’s Night Changes on the anniversary of his departure from the band.
The singer was visibly moved as he performed the last single he released with his 1D bandmates in Mexico City in March.
He told the crowd at Palacio De Los Deportes arena in a clip circulated on social media: “It’s the first time I sang that song in 10 years.
“Thank you, that was f****** amazing. I almost cried at one point. This is insane.”
In a social media statement, the Pillow Talk hitmaker announced on the day of his exit: “My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band.
“I’d like to apologize to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart.
“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”
He reunited with bandmates Harry, Niall and Louis at Liam’s funeral late last year. The 31-year-old star plunged to his death from the balcony of his hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on October 16, 2024.