He also alluded to his relationship with Gigi and where they stood while breaking down songs off his forthcoming album Room Under the Stairs.

The singer even revealed one skill that his daughter has developed that might have come from Gigi.

On why he took a step back from his solo career…

I just took my foot off the pedal a little bit, especially with the promotion and like interviews and things like this. I just was not interested in it at all,” he said, adding, “I just wasn’t interested in it cuz I wasn’t in the place to sit and talk.”

He added being an introvert made it hard for him to transition into solo stardom where he had to give people more of himself. He said that it took time for him to “transition” and realize he wanted success and more.

On the surprising skill Khai might have picked up from Gigi Hadid…

Zayn noted that his daughter was developing musical talent, which he somewhat attributed to Gigi.

“She can play a little bit. She’s not like expert level, but she’s got a bit of rhythm when she’s hitting the drums. I can tell that she definitely can develop that into something. Her mom was actually really good at Guitar Hero on the drums. I was like, ‘Maybe she got that from her mom.’ Cuz I was diabolical at it, and G used to beat me all the time. I used to be like, ‘What the f-ck. I’m the musician, and she beats me at this game.’ But Khai‘s got that too.”

On his relationship with Gigi Hadid and singing about their breakup on the album…

“The first song that I wrote on the record was ‘Alienated,’ and it was towards the end of my relationship. Like when me and my ex were breaking up. So there’s the heavy narrative of the kinds of things I was going through mentally in that situation and what I was thinking and how I was feeling,” Zayn explained, not naming Gigi.

When discussing the song “How It Feels,” Zayn noted that he was “sad” as he was going through the breakup.

“I think in that song specifically I’m talking about not being able to explain to the person that you’re in love with why it is that you necessarily can’t be the best version of the partner you want to be. And that’s a really sad thing,” he said, noting that he “wasn’t at that place” where he could have been that person.

Zayn added that he had “moved on” and found closure in the relationship, confirming that there were no thoughts about going back.

“I don’t know if I’ve actually truly been in love at this point,” he said later in the interview.

On feeling “frustration” over not being able to express his individuality as a member of a band…

Speaking about his artistry during the One Direction days, he noted that he would have thought that he could have created an album like Room Under the Stairs. Now, he recognizes that he wasn’t ready yet. However, he said that “there was always that frustration there” as a result.

“I was in a five-part band where it was, you know, constant like opinions over opinions. This is what you want to do, and this is what we want to do. So it was hard to really show that individuality and show who you were. Not due to anybody’s fault, just circumstantial. That’s the way it was,” he reflected.

On his big regret from his time with One Direction…

“The one thing I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough,” Zayn said. “I feel like I just took things too seriously. I’m grateful that I’m able to be happier now. I can actually enjoy things and own my own perspective a bit. You know, like glass half full versus it being half empty. That’s my choice. I get to decide what that is.”

He continued, adding, “I didn’t understand the importance of just trying to be happy. I had this teen angst thing going on, a chip on my shoulder where I’m like, ‘It’s really gool to just be moody as f-ck all the time.’”

As for how he came to terms with that reality, Zayn credited Khai for changing his perspective.

He explained that she “brought that color back in my life.”

On resentment between the bandmates at the time and what’s changed…

“I think the thing was, we were so young. And when we were in the band, we didn’t have that level of compassion yet because we didn’t understand life yet. We just were young kids that just were thrown in the situation. Now, when I look back at it, I can look at it in a positive light and be like, all these guys came from similar backgrounds to me. They had nothing, they worked the asses off, they wanted to sing, they got the thrown in a band. And you know, we resented each other to a certain degree because we were solo artists that were put in a band, and we should have never felt that way. It should have never been a competition. It should have always been a camaraderie, and we should have always been there for each other and had each other’s backs,” he said.

Zayn continued, saying, “I think that’s just development over time. I mean, I’ve become a more compassionate, caring person for other people. And the thing I learned is I have have done that earlier.”

Zayn recently recalled saving one of his bandmates from a scary situation. He also had more to say about Khai and moving to Pennsylvania.

Press play on Zayn Malik’s interview below…