One Direction is moving on without former member Zayn Malik.
For the first time since Zayn left 1D, the band has removed him from the video montage that opens the band’s show. According to The Independent, 1D’s show on Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa started with an introductory video that did not include the former member.
Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson are reportedly taking over Zayn’s solos on the tour.
PHOTOS: Harry Styles: The One Direction Heartthrob
1D might be one member down, but the guys are pumped to get back in the studio to record their fifth album.
On Sunday, Niall Tweeted, “Had a sit down last night with the label , started organising our writing sessions for the next album! F*** yeaaaahhhh! Can’t wait !”
Last week, Zayn broke his silence about his abrupt departure from the band.
PHOTOS: Hot Shots Of One Direction’s Niall Horan
“I did try to do something that I wasn’t happy doing for a while, for the sake of maybe other people’s happiness. And that was mainly the fans. And I only ever tried to do it for the fans, and it was only ever for them,” Zayn told Britain’s The Sun. “And basically, I’m only upset I feel like I may have let them down in some sort of way. That’s the main thing that I don’t want to happen. It’s not that I’ve turned my back on them or anything, it’s just that I just can’t do that anymore because it’s not real to me.
“My band has been really supportive. They’ve been really cool about it. And they understand that, you know, it’s not real to me anymore,” he continued. “They still want to do it for a while, so they’re going to carry on doing what they want to do. And I think they’re doing to do OK for a while. I think they’re going to be cool.”
Zayn – who originally said he was exiting 1D “to be a normal 22-year-old” – was photographed at a recording studio with producer Naughty Boy just 24 hours after leaving the band.
— Jesse Spero
Copyright © 2024 by NBC Universal, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
This material may not be republished, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.