Zayn Malik is making an official comeback (Picture: WireImage)
Zayn Malik has caused a fan frenzy after finally revealing he will be taking to the stage as a solo artist for the first time.
Taking to X on Wednesday, the Pillowtalk singer, announced that on May 17 – alongside the release of his fourth album, Room Under The Stairs, he will perform his first-ever headline solo show.
Zayn, 31, is the only former member of One Direction who has not yet performed solo due to years of anxiety issues, despite releasing music on his own after leaving the X Factor group in 2015 due to stress.
Set to take place at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire – a 2,000-person capacity music venue, Zayn is expected to perform songs from his past three albums, Mind of Mine, Icarus Falls and Nobody Is Listening, and his upcoming album.
Tickets to the one-off show are available to be purchased on the star’s official album pre-sale link.
In addition to the surprise concert announcement, the chart-topping artist will also release a documentary called The Road Back To The Mic.
Known for shying away from the spotlight and keeping a relatively low profile due to his battle with anxiety, Zayn’s announcement immediately caused a stir among the star’s legion of fans, who took to the comment section to share their excitement and congratulate the star.
@savage_zquad wrote on Twitter that they were ‘So emotional eight now,’ while @da_ni_ella added: ‘I would do anything to live this special moment.’
Going full-on with a big reaction, @nienke.schx screamed: ‘OMGGGGG CRYING IN HOLLAND BUT OMGGGGGG WOW.’
On Instagram, @zaynsmarbel enthused: ‘TAKE ALL MY MONEY. I NEED TO BE THERE.’
Meanwhile, some global fans were experiencing bittersweet emotions at the fact they wouldn’t be able to attend the show, with @nigusaint writing they were ‘gonna die of jealousy,’ while @brentftzayn added: ‘i’m so excited for this but i’m sad i won’t be able to be there.’
Zayn’s May 17 performance marks his first on-stage performance in eight years after his last-minute decision to pull out of Capital’s Summertime Ball show in 2016, just moments before he was due to go on stage.
Taking to Instagram after making the shocking decision, he heartbreakingly told fans: ‘Unfortunately, my anxiety that has haunted me throughout the last few months around live performances has gotten the better of me.
The former One Direction star has been gradually teasing fans with new music (Picture: @zayn, Instagram, YouTube)
Naturally, they’re losing their minds over his comeback (Picture: @zayn, Instagram, YouTube)
‘With the magnitude of the event, I have suffered the worst anxiety of my career. I cannot apologise enough,’ he added. ‘I promise I will do my best to make this up to everybody I’ve let down today.’
Zayn’s upcoming album is his first since 2021 and was produced with nine-time Grammy Award-winning country music producer Dave Cobb. It is expected to be his most personal catalogue of music yet.
In a teaser reel posted to his Instagram account last week, the star spoke about the origins of the album, telling fans: ‘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.
‘And that’s why it’s so raw, you know, it’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.’
It’s been years since Zayn was last on the stage (Picture: FilmMagic)
The reel concluded with a snippet of his song, What I Am with the lyrics: ‘If I told you I loved you, would you say that it’s f***** up?’
This isn’t the first time the star has spoken about how different the album will sound. In July last year after appearing on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast – his first interview in six years – the former boy band member said: ‘I’ve got a few really sad [songs]. It’s a different sound for me, and it’s got like some more narrative going on – real-life experiences and stuff.’
Zayn first shot to fame as part of the popular boy band group, One Direction, in 2010 alongside bandmates, Louis Tomlinson, 32, Liam Payne, 30, Niall Horan, 30, and Harry Styles, 30.
Tickets to Zayn: Room Under The Stairs are available to those who pre-order Room Under The Stairs (or register on the site) by 3pm on May 8.
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