Too much stress, too much attention are too much for him

Mar 26, 2015 08:10 GMT  ·  By

Today is a sad day for the millions of (mostly female) fans of British pop act One Direction, discovered by Simon Cowell in 2010 on X Factor and signed to his record label: Zayn Malik, one of the five members, has announced that he is officially leaving the band.

Confirmation of this comes from the band’s Facebook page, but it will probably not take fans completely by surprise since it comes after a very troubled year for Zayn and one week after he left the tour citing “stress.”

Too much of a good thing

Stress, the excessive attention and being 9 months of the year on the road have taken a toll on Zayn’s life, so he’s taking time out to be just a regular 22-year-old, he says in the official announcement. Being part of the number 1 band in the world might be something every aspiring musician hopes for, but the reality of it is that it can also prove to be too much to handle.

Rumor online has it that Zayn has been struggling in his personal life for at least the last couple of years, as the pressure of fame and the incessant traveling have pushed him to seek refuge in drugs and alcohol.

The first actual signs of trouble appeared last year in November, when the boys traveled to the US for promotional appearances but he did not accompany them, citing a “stomach bug.” Matt Lauer even hinted that drugs may have been to blame for his absence on NBC’s The Today Show, but Zayn was upset at the insinuation, saying it had nothing to do with what was really happening.

Then, almost a couple of weeks ago, he was photographed holding hands with a mysterious brunette, while his fiancé was back at home, waiting for him to return from touring. The scandal was huge, because fans accused him of being a cheater, so he packed his bags and flew back to the UK, leaving the band in the middle of the tour.

Officially, he cited “stress” as a reason.

Worry not, One Direction isn’t going anywhere

As difficult as it might be for fans to accept that Zayn will no longer be part of the One Direction lineup, they will probably find consolation in knowing that the band isn’t going away anywhere soon.

As per the official announcement, One Direction will continue as a 4-piece: the remaining members, Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, will finish the tour and then set to work on a new album.

The transition won’t be easy, but it will happen. The video below shows Harry allegedly crying on stage after Zayn’s announcement. So if you’re one of the millions of One Directioners having a hard time coming to terms with this, you should know that the remaining 4 members are feeling the same way as you do.