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Zayn Malik

Zayn Malik speaks out about quitting 1D

Kelly Lawler
USA TODAY
Zayn Malik

"Crazy and wild and a bit mad."

That's how Zayn Malik described his decision to quit One Direction, a decision that caused grief among the boy bands' fans and set the Internet ablaze Wednesday.

Malik gave his first interview since the announcement to the U.K. newspaper The Sun on Wednesday (as reported by People and the BBC), opening up about why he felt it was time for him to leave the group.

"I can't do this anymore," he said in the interview. "But I've never felt more in control in my life. I feel like I'm doing what's right, right by myself and right by the boys."

In the interview Malik denied that there are any conflicts between the band members, saying those claims "couldn't be more wrong."

"My band has been really supportive. They've been cool about it," he said. "And they understand that, you know, it's not real to me anymore."

He admitted that he's been wanting to leave One Direction for awhile. "You know, I did try to do something that I wasn't happy doing for a while, for the sake of maybe other people. Basically, I'm only upset (because) I feel like I may have let them down."

The singer also mentioned in the interview that he has been working on his own music, which has caused speculation among some mediaoutlets that he might be pursuing a solo career in music.

Malik admitted he worries about breaking the hearts of the bands' many fans. "I feel like I've let the fans down but I can't do this anymore," he said. "It's not that I've turned my back on them or anything. It's just that I just can't do that anymore because it's not real to me."

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