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For many One Direction fans, the tragic death of bandmate Liam Payne might’ve induced a wave of nostalgia, and Zayn Malik appears to be feeling that, too.
Malik, who was a part of the former boy band alongside Payne, Harry Styles, Niall Horan and Louis Tomlinson, took to social media recently to share a cover of One Direction’s most famous song. Trying his hand at a solo, acapella rendition of “What Makes You Beautiful” — the band’s breakout 2012 single — Malik shared the cover on his Instagram Story, with a few notable changes. The singer changed the rhythm and cadence of the original to deliver a more soulful version, completing the performance after the first chorus.
Zayn sings ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ by One Direction in new Instagram story.
— Pop Base (@PopBase) February 20, 2025
The fan response to Malik’s cover was swift and supportive, with many taken by an air of nostalgia, given that it has been over a decade since Zayn and his bandmates performed the song live on their final tour.
“So many things have changed since then,” one fan wrote, while another added that they were glad Malik is “taking us back to the One Direction days.” A third user shared the same reminiscent sentiment, saying that “hearing his voice again on this song just hits differently.” Interestingly, “What Makes You Beautiful” was one of the nine One Direction songs that reentered the global Spotify charts following Payne’s death.
Zayn singing ‘What Makes You Beautiful’ on his Instagram story?! Talk about taking us back to the One Direction days! 🎶
— Camila (@camilaofficiaal) February 20, 2025
Hearing his voice again on this song just hits differently
— Honey Gold (@HoneyGoldxx) February 21, 2025
so many things have changed since then
— Psychology (@psymindfact) February 20, 2025
Another fan jumped on the nostalgia train over on Reddit, noting how they “love[d] that he wanted to share this with us” and are “happy to see him grow out of his avoidance” of his former band. More broadly, many users complimented Malik’s voice, saying he had “always been THE vocalists of that band” and admitting that “he could sing the alphabet and [they’d] still be obsessed.”
Of course, Malik’s revival of the song will, in the minds of some fans, be inextricable from Payne, who passed away after falling from a balcony in Buenos Aires last October. While tragic, the death has seen Payne’s remaining bandmates come together on multiple occasions — a rarity after their disbandment back in 2016.
Payne’s funeral in November marked the first time all four One Direction members assembled in nine years, and another reunion took place just last month at Malik’s concert. Directioners collectively lost their minds midway through the show, when Malik revealed that Tomlinson, who he had long been at odds with, was in the audience, suggesting their feud had been squashed sometime after Payne’s death.
Malik postponed his planned tour following news of Payne’s passing, and shared a touching tribute to his former bandmate on social media. “There are no words to justify or explain how I feel right now beyond devastated,” Malik wrote alongside a photo of himself and Payne on Instagram. “I hope that wherever you are now you are good and at peace.”
Stories have continued to emerge in the fallout from Payne’s death, with the late singer’s therapist this month revealing that he “just wanted to be loved.” Excuse me while I curl into a ball and stream “Night Changes.”