Daily Times

Zayn Malik paid his former band an emotional tribute on the 10th anniversary of his exit during a concert.

The singer, 32, left his fans surprised when he opened his sold-out arena show with Night Changes-the last single Zayn ever recorded with his One Direction bandmates Liam Payne, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan and Harry Styles. At one point during his emotional tribute, the former One Directioner even found himself tearing up. “It’s the first time I’ve sung that song in 10 years. Thank you, that was amazing, I almost cried at one point,” Zayn told the crowd.

Zayn was the first to quit the boyband when he announced his departure on March 25, 2015.

He said at the time he wanted to ‘relax’ and live the life of a normal 22-year-old. However, he later revealed that there was more to his reason for leaving the band.

In 2023, Zayn told Call Her Daddy podcast host that the band was just “sick” of each other at that point and he decided to get out first.

The recent tribute comes months after the tragic death of Liam Payne on October 16 after falling from a hotel balcony in Argentina.