“We made some good music as a band,” the Pillow Talk singer added. “We were pretty good.”

Zayn left the band in March 2015 in the middle of their world tour dubbed On The Road Again (OTRA). In July 2023, he cited his goal of pursuing a solo career as one of his reasons for leaving them.

“I completely, selfishly wanted to be the first person to go and make my own record, if I’m being completely honest with you,” the Fool For You singer previously said.

“I was like: ‘I’m gonna jump the gun here for the first time.’ I’m a passive dude, but when it comes to my music and my business, I’m serious about it and I’m competitive. So I wanted to be the first to go and do my own thing. That was the reason,” he added.

Zayn also revealed that there were “underlying issues” at the time, including the band’s internal dynamics.

After leaving the band, Zayn released Pillowtalk, his first-ever hit song as a solo artist. His other famous tracks include What I Am, Let Me, and Dusk Til Dawn ft. Sia.

He is set to release his fourth studio album, Room Under the Stairs, on May 17.