Zayn Malik shocked fans last night with a surprise performance of a hit One Direction song for the first time in over a decade.
The 32-year-old singer took to the stage on the 10th anniversary of his exit from the beloved boyband and sang Night Changes for the crowd.
After so long away from the band, fans certainly didn’t expect him to open his sold-out arena show with the emotional track.
‘It’s the first time I’ve sung that song in 10 years. Thank you, that was amazing, I almost cried at one point,’ he told the crowd.
On March 25, 2015, Zayn was the first to leave One Direction, causing meltdowns and anger among the dedicated Directioners.
He said at the time he wanted to ‘relax’ and live the life of a normal 22-year-old but has said since this wasn’t the whole truth.
On the Call Her Daddy podcast in 2023, he revealed that the band were just ‘sick’ of each other at that point, and he decided to get out first.
Over the years, Zayn has kept a distance from his boyband beginnings with many fans speculating that he would never reunite with the group.
However, after the heartbreaking death of bandmate Liam Payne last year, the Pillowtalk singer has softened on his feelings towards 1D.
In Mexico, for the anniversary, Zayn sang Night Changes – the last single he ever recorded with Liam, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and Harry Styles.
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The song originally charted in the UK Top 10 but became particularly poignant after Liam’s death and re-entered the charts at number six last year.
The lyrics to Night Changes include: ‘We’re only gettin’ older, baby/ And I’ve been thinkin’ about it lately/Does it ever drive you crazy/Just how fast the night changes?’
Later in the chorus, the band sings ‘But there’s nothin’ to be afraid of/ Even when the night changes/ It will never change me and you.’
Zayn, who sings the first verse with Liam on the original version, was barely audible over the screams from emotional fans when the track started.
In January, during his Stairway to the Sky tour, he told the crowd in Washington D.C.: ‘Maybe I’ll mix it up at some point, maybe a 1D song in there or something.’
As the crowd roared, the I Don’t Want To Live Forever hitmaker quickly added: ‘Don’t get excited, not tonight! Sorry, I didn’t mean to tease you like [that] it’s not tonight.’
While in Liam’s hometown of Wolverhampton, Zayn paid tribute to his late bandmate, speaking for the first time publicly after his death.
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On stage, he said: ‘I’ve been doing something, at the end of the show, every night, and it’s been dedicated to my brother Liam Payne. Rest in peace.’
The History hitmaker continued: ‘I hope you’re seeing this, we’re in your hometown tonight, Wolverhampton, this is for you, Liam.’
Liam tragically died at the age of 31 on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony while abroad.
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