The former One Direction member will release his highly-anticipated, fourth studio album, ‘Room Under the Stairs,’ on May 17
Zayn Malik; Miley Cyrus
It seems as though Zayn Malik may have had Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” on repeat like the rest of us!
In a Monday chat with fans on the live streaming platform Stationhead, the former One Direction member, 31, opened up to fans about his new music on the way and aspirations going forward — including how he’d “like” to collaborate with Cyrus, also 31.
According to fan-recorded clips of the stream that surfaced on social media, Malik revealed that not only is he a huge fan of the pop superstar’s music, but he’d like to get in the studio with her because of how much her sound aligns with what he’s been working on.
“I’d like to do a collaboration with her,” he said of the Grammy winner.
Zayn Malik in Paris in January 2024
Malik continued: “I like her recent music a lot. She’s got a sick voice.”
Although he didn’t share too many details, the R&B-pop artist teased that Cyrus’ pop-rock sound meshes with what he’s going for on his upcoming album, Room Under the Stairs, due May 17. He shared, “I think we could do something really cool together, especially in line with what my new record sounds like.”
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Malik even put out a message to the “Doctor” singer: “Miley, if you hear this, and you’re interested, I’m here. Let’s do something.”
Were the “Pillowtalk” singer to team up with Cyrus on a track, it would mark his latest collaboration with a fellow A-lister. Throughout his solo career, Malik’s linked up with stars like Taylor Swift on one-off singles (“I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” from the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack), and garnered features from Kehlani, Nicki Minaj, Sia and others on his albums.
Louis tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction performing at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo in January 2012 in London
During the live stream, the English artist also took a moment to reflect on his past, as he revealed that he’s been spending time listening to the music that he made with his former 1D bandmates, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson.
According to fan-captured screen recordings, Malik said, “I’ve been listening to a bit of One Direction music recently, reminiscing.”
“Good times,” he noted of his run in the boy band, which lasted from the group’s formation on U.K. version of The X Factor in 2010 until he departed the lineup in March 2015. (The rest of the band announced their indefinite hiatus in January 2016, several months after their album Made in the A.M. dropped in November 2015.)
“We made some good music as a band,” Malik continued. “We were pretty good.”
Malik is about to embark on his next musical era with his fourth studio album Room Under the Stairs, which marks his follow-up to 2021’s Nobody Is Listening and his label debut with Mercury Records.
He revealed the record was on the way earlier this month by sharing the cover artwork, which features a silhouette of his face and a blueprint of a house being built, on Instagram.
Since announcing the LP, Malik has shared its lead single: “What I Am.”
Although the details about Room Under the Stairs are slim, Rolling Stone reported in February that Dave Cobb, known for his work across the country and rock with artists like Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile and Lady Gaga, co-produced the record.
The “Dusk Till Dawn” performer himself has also called the record one of his most “raw” releases to date when he opened up about what fans can expect in a teaser that he shared to Instagram.
In the video, Malik said in a voiceover, “I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to get more insight on me personally as a human being.”
“My ambitions, my fears… and for them to have a connection with that,” he continued. “And that’s why it’s so raw, you know?”
The teaser concluded, “There’s just me writing this. I didn’t want anyone else to be in between me and the music, and the music and the people listening to it.”
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