Gone But Not Forgotten: Zayn Malik's Top 10 Moments With One Direction
There are some days you will never forget. March 25, 2015 will be one of those days: the day Zayn Malik quit One Direction.
The cries and breaking hearts of girls around the world were heard.
Questions of, “Why is this happening?” flooded social media.
Angry tweets blew up our news feeds. There were so many questions and no answers. All we had was one Facebook announcement. Other than that… nothing. Silence.
As of right now, we don’t know why Zayn quit One Direction. We can speculate all we want, but the fact of the matter doesn’t change. He is still no longer a member of the band.
To cope with the pain of losing Zayn, I've decided to focus not on the negatives (the anger, the questions), but, instead, on the positives -- the memories Zayn left us with.
I have compiled a list of Zayn’s top 10 moments with One Direction, starting at the beginning of it all:
1. His Audition
From the moment a cherub-cheeked, 16-year-old Zayn stepped in front of Simon, Louis and Nicole at the "X-Factor UK" Manchester auditions, it was clear he was a star.
When he opened his mouth to sing, there was no doubt left in the room. He had a soulful voice, clearly influenced by R&B. He got a "yes" from all three judges (obviously), and his manners showed when he humbly thanked them.
From that moment on, it was clear Zayn was going somewhere.
2. He Doesn’t Want To Dance
He was nervous about looking like a fool. A quick pep talk from Simon Cowell straightened him out, and Zayn went out to the stage to dance.
With soon-to-be bandmate Liam a few people down from him and other soon-to-be bandmate Harry behind him, Zayn danced.
He wasn’t the best, but he wasn’t terrible. Even though his reluctance to dance spawned from nerves, he set the precedent for One Direction’s future “No Boy Band Moves” rule.
It was because of Zayn One Direction broke the stereotypical idea of what a boy band should be.
3. When He Announced The Future Of One Direction
When One Direction was voted off in third place on "X-Factor UK," everyone wanted to know what the future held for the boys.
Zayn said it best when he said, “We’re definitely going to stay together. This isn’t the last of One Direction.”
It wasn’t, Zayn. It wasn’t.
4. Walking Around In A White T-Shirt For "What Makes You Beautiful"
When One Direction’s first music video came out, the first thing on everyone’s mind was, “Wow, Zayn got hot!”
From then on, Zayn was the hot one. He was the perfectly-carved face God gave to us mortals here on Earth.
5. As Veronica In “Best Song Ever”
While the other boys had a challenge acting as completely ridiculous movie producers, choreographers and marketing guys, Zayn’s character in “Best Song Ever” was definitely the most challenging.
He had to completely embrace becoming the opposite sex, with no jokes or funny lines.
He became the typical “music video” girl, dancing in the background and having the other boys sing inches from his face.
Never once did he look uncomfortable or embarrassed. In fact, he embraced the character fully.
PS: You are lying to yourself if you didn’t think he was prettier than you for a second.
6. His Hair At The American Music Awards
Ah, the single strand of hair that broke the Internet. One perfectly coifed lock falling gently on Zayn’s perfect face.
This is the piece of hair that made girls cry. This is the piece of hair Graham Norton dedicated an entire segment of his show to. This is the strand of hair seen around the world.
Only Zayn, in his utter beauty, could ever change the world with a single strand of hair.
7. With His Sister In “Story Of My Life”
We all love a guy who can get along with his sister! Zayn definitely proved he's a wonderful older brother in the video for “Story of My Life.”
He shared the spotlight with his little sister and melted our hearts when he brought her in for a hug in the end. It just proved to us what we already knew: Zayn has a huge heart!
8. When He Bought His Mom A House
Audiences of “This Is Us” were privy to a very special moment between Zayn and his mother.
Zayn had bought his mother a home, and the “This Is Us” crew was there to capture both ends of the phone conversation, as his mother stepped into her new home for the first time.
Mother, son and the audience started tearing up at the special moment, and Zayn then uttered a line where we all lost it: “Well, get off the phone before I start crying.”
Zayn totally proved to us he didn’t let fame turn him into a greedy or selfish person. Instead, he stayed grounded and helped out the person who got him where he is: his mother.
9. When We All Went On A Date With Him In “Night Changes”
Zayn proved he would be a perfect date for any girl in the “Night Changes” video. He would take us out to a nice restaurant, let us eat spaghetti, treat us to some wine, laugh and talk with us all night.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds like the perfect date to me!
Even if our jealous exes walked into the restaurant and dumped a plate of food on his head, Zayn would still be the perfect gentleman.
He wouldn’t start a fight, but would, instead, let us sort things out for ourselves. Then, I assume, he would wait by the phone until we could call and apologize for our jerk of an ex.
10. Whenever He Pierced Our Souls With His High Notes
Zayn’s high notes were the highlight of any One Direction song.
From “Best Song Ever” to “Right Now” to “Steal My Girl,” Zayn never failed to showcase his amazing falsetto. He reached notes some people can only dream of. His voice is absolutely amazing, and we should all be thankful he was with One Direction long enough for us to hear it.
It’s tough to let you go, Zayn. You had so many great moments with One Direction, and we all wish you could continue.
However, wherever you go in life, I hope you find everything you want.
Thanks for giving us a little piece of your past. Here’s to your future!
