One fateful day in 2010, Zayn Malik auditioned for X-Factor — and the rest is history. it's been six years since he first joined One Direction, and while the fact is that he left the band in 2015, it's a bittersweet split. We still have all of the 1D glory days, and, of course, he's gone on to create Mind of Mine, and singles like "Pillowtalk." For Zayn, this is just the beginning.
And while many people often like to pit the singer against his former bandmates, it turns out he's super grateful for the opportunity the band gave them. Teen Vogue has an exclusive excerpt from his new book, Zayn, and Directioners — get your Kleenex ready. This will make you want to happy-cry, because while he may have grown and matured out of his first gig, he's still got a space in his heart for 1D.
“I got to meet amazing fans, and I can never thank all of them enough for the love and support they gave me during the good times, and the bad," Zayn writes about his experience in one of the biggest boy bands the world has ever seen.
Where exactly do these accolades live, do you ask? We have an exclusive look at the wall, and it's one major tribute to everything 1D has accomplished in the group's first four years together. So basically like our shrines to our favorite group, but infinitely cooler.
Zayn hits shelves November 1, and is available for pre-order now. We've already got our names down for about 10 copies, TBH.
Related: The 33 Best Photos From Zayn Malik's Time in One Direction
