Zayn

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll probably know who Zayn is—or at least have heard of him once or twice. Normal British teenager turned pop-star overnight, becoming one of the five members of a massive boyband, touring all over the world, selling hundreds of millions of albums, topping charts, and then suddenly leaving, seemingly out of nowhere. When he left the band in March 2015, Zayn broke a ton of hearts (not mine– I’d actually never even liked One Direction, but I thought he was both very attractive and the only talented one among the five). Many thought that they’d never get to hear him sing, but a year later, Zayn was #1 in 78 countries with his bestselling debut album. He’s now designing a fashion line with Donnatella Versace and Guiseppe Zannotti, is a producer for a TV show, and is also a bestselling author.In Zayn, he tells his side of the story. Zayn’s often talked about how the media and his former management have projected an image on him that he doesn’t deserve. And it’s true—Zayn became known, out of nowhere, as the “bad boy” of the group, the mysterious, private, brooding brown kid who was so different to his bubbly bandmates. Sure, from the exterior, the stereotype can be applied. Covered in tattoos with an unkempt beard and a sharp buzzcut, Zayn walks around in heavy boots, leather jackets, cigarette dangling from his mouth. But his book provides a very different side to him. Strip back the layer that’s been presented to you, and a charming young boy comes to the forefront.What have I learned about Zayn after reading this book? That he loves his mother more than anything in the world, and constantly talks about her. He loves to read and write—every lyric he pens down means something to him. He likes to eat samosas, and can cook. He calls himself a feminist and thinks the world would be a hell of a better place if we had more women in positions of power. He loves boxing, he loves cartoons and superheroes—and he’s literally just like any other young-adult boy on the streets, except that he has millions of fans—whom he acknowledges and thanks on every other page. This book isn’t just an autobiography; it’s a clarification, and it’s a well-formulated, honest defense written by someone who has been labelled and trashed for years and years, for no good reason.A thing that drew me in about Zayn was that he doesn’t talk about other people. Not once does he trash or defame anyone—not his ex, not his bandmates, not even his management. He keeps it classy, talking about his issues with fame, the part he played in everything. He presents a candid look into his experiences with mental health and opens up about his anxiety, his ADHD and eating disorders. He had every reason to talk about his failed engagement and his broken friendships with the other members of One Direction, but he does not. This book is about him, and he makes sure that it’s never about anyone else. It’s about his life, his world, his past and what he hopes his future will be. It’s about his struggles with his faith, his Pakistani-English mixed race, about his experiences with bigotry and racism in the past. It’s about him.This book is not just an autobiography; it’s a high-production, piece of art. Full of glossy, often full-page photos and hand-written notes, scans of his lyrics and doodles, Zayn is the perfect addition to any fan’s (or non-fan’s) collection. It’s a perfect coffee table book, written with sincerity and class. And though you may not care about him now, you’ll find him charming and endearing once you’ve finished reading.

Self-titled and self-produced, Zayn awards us with a view of his life pre, during, and post 1D. But the book isn’t really about 1D at all. It’s a sprawling and eclectic work of song notes, photographs of Malik, and a few pieces of his own personal art. It provides us, through the sentimental stories and heartwarming positivity that Malik weaves in every page, with a rare inside look at the person - not the popstar.It’s romantic at times, simply in the personal and casual nature with which the book presents itself. You can imagine Malik spilling his life’s story to you at a barbecue, and the words seem pulling directly from his own thoughts. There's no ghostwriting here, and it's refreshing to see a celebrity's "personal account of their life" actually be their OWN personal account, and not an interviewer trying to hammer in the person's syntax in every sentence. These are Zayn's words, emphatic and innocent and so very relatable.There’s not much sugar-coating, either. It’s honest and real, two things that Malik has professed to always striving for, and I must say he definitely succeeds. He details his struggles with an eating disorder, as well as crippling anxiety and self-doubt. It’s equal parts heart wrenching and hopeful. He vows to perform, vows to make his fans and his family proud, and you find yourself rooting for him to do just that. Though Malik pulls no punches, describing his feelings about lack of control in his life that led to his eating disorder, there’s a wistfulness to his words. Never cynical or even histrionic, but occasionally weathered after the vast amount of life he’s lived already, the book also serves as a true reminder that Malik is only twenty-two years old. He is just barely an adult in the eyes of the world, but has already experienced enough to fill a book. He’s charming in his photographs, and his talent shines through in song notes, bits of unused lyrics, and his own personal art creations he displays.All-in-all, it was a great read. I finished in just about two and a half hours - and that was with stopping to appreciate Malik’s beauty in every photograph. It’s a quick read-through, meant to be browsed and perused and appreciated for years to come. If you want to know about the real Zayn Malik, there’s no better way than with his own words, and this is it.