“I was pretty much on my farm having a glass of whiskey and listening to a bit of Stapleton by the fire with my dog, playing guitar,” Malik told Nylon magazine. “I’m proud of it. I think it shows a certain level of intellect, to be a bit ahead of the curve.”

“People need to know I didn’t jump on the bandwagon,” he added.

The former One Direction member reflected on the shift to country music saying that while mainstream pop songs are doing “their job”, he believes musicians and listeners want “more depth”.

“People are in search of a little bit more depth from the lyrics. In the Top 40 charts, a lot of mainstream music feels a bit wishy-washy. The songs are f****** fire. You know what I mean? They’re catchy. They’re playing on the radio and they do their job, but people are looking for a little bit more.”

On his inspiration and foray into country music, Malik quoted musicians Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson as artistic influences.

“I didn’t feel like there was a Chris Stapleton song that comes on and he sounds like a f*** boy, right? He doesn’t do it! He’s not out here saying, ‘B****** in the club! We’re drinking Bacardi!’ Or whatever these young kids use now.”

“He’s not like that. He’s got class, right? He’s telling you a real grown man’s story. And I respected the f*** out of it. I was like, ‘This is cool. It’s something I can do.’”

“I could really hear their lyrics and their pain and their growth and the life lessons,” he said.

The singer launched his solo career after leaving One Direction in 2015. He said in the same interview that his time with the band “feels just like a happier time in my mind now”.

Harry Styles, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan of One Direction attend the 40 Principales Awards photocall at the Barclaycard Center in 2014 (Getty)

Room Under the Stairs is Malik’s fourth studio album, after 2016’s Mind of Mine, 2018’s Icarus Falls, and 2021’s Nobody Is Listening.

The 15-track album releases on 17 May and marks his return to live shows for the first time since quitting One Direction.

Malik ended up cancelling what would have been his debut solo appearance in June 2016, citing “the worst anxiety” of his career. He has not toured live for any of his previous solo albums.