The musician covers NYLON's new issue.
Zayn Malik is reflecting on his personal growth.
The 31-year-old musician addresses his past relationships in a new interview with NYLON magazine, issuing a rare comment on his 2013 engagement to Little Mix star Perrie Edwards while he was still a member of One Direction.
"From 17 to 21, I was in a relationship," he shares. "I was engaged and [planned to get] married and I didn't know anything about anything at that point. I thought I did, because I was 21. I was legally allowed to do everything, but I didn't know s**t."
The former couple called it quits in 2015, and Malik moved on with Gigi Hadid later that year. Malik and Hadid were involved in an on-off relationship for several years, welcoming a daughter together in 2020, before ending their romance for good in 2021.
"From 21 to 27, I was with Gi, and we had a kid, and I didn't really take much time to get to know myself," he now tells NYLON.
Today, Edwards is engaged to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, with whom she shares a son. For her part, Hadid is rumored to be in a relationship with Bradley Cooper.
Malik says in NYLON that he's not currently looking for love after he was previously "kicked off" dating apps for appearing to impersonate himself.
"I’m really content and happy with being single for the first time in my life," he says.
Earlier this week, the former One Direction member dropped a surprising revelation about his love life in a new interview on the Zach Sang Show.
"I don’t know if I’ve ever actually truly been in love at this point," he said.
When Sang pointed out that Malik can say he's in love with his daughter, Khai, the performer explained why he would not consider that the same thing.
"I'm in love with her as my child," he said, as opposed to being "in love with somebody who is a complete separate entity -- they’re not my family, I have no blood with them, like, I’m in love with this person, you know? I don’t know."
Malik will release his fourth solo studio album -- the country-influenced Room Under the Stairs -- this month.
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