Surprise! Zayn Sang This 1D Classic On Instagram

Prepare to get nostalgic. Seven years after Zayn Malik announced his departure from One Direction in March 2015, the singer surprised fans by singing a classic One Direction song in a recent Instagram video. On Aug. 15, he posted a short clip of himself singing the group’s 2014 single “Night Changes,” and obviously Directioners like myself were not prepared for this callback.

During the video, Zayn wore a bandana and overalls and sang the track’s chorus a capella. “Everything that you've ever dreamed of / Disappearing when you wake up / But there's nothing to be afraid of,” he sang. “Even when the night changes / It will never change me and you.”

His cover arrived just weeks after Zayn posted a 10-second clip singing another One Direction song: the 2014 single “You & I.” There’s no word from Zayn on the reasoning for his One Direction nostalgia.

“You & I” was featured on One Direction’s third album, Midnight Memories, which dropped in November 2013. Meanwhile, “Night Changes” is from their fourth album, Four, which came out in November 2014.

Zayn then left the band in March 2015. At the time, the star explained his departure was due to him wanting “some private time out of the spotlight.”

In November 2015, One Direction dropped their fifth and final album, Made in the A.M. It was their first album without Zayn. He subsequently dropped his first solo album, Mind of Mine, which featured the Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “Pillowtalk,” in March 2016. His second album, Icarus Falls, arrived two years later in December 2018, and his third album, Nobody Is Listening, came in January 2021.

While Zayn’s relationship with the other One Direction members became complicated following his departure, his recent return to singing two of the band’s classic tracks has me hoping for a reunion.