Zayn Malik releases first single since leaving One Direction

British singer Zayn Malik released his first solo single from his upcoming album today. Malik, formerly a member of One Direction, departed the band in March 2015 to persue a "...solo career...". In a recent interview with Beats Radio 1, the singer spoke about leaving the 1D on camera for the first time. "I always kind of wanted to go," he told Zane Low (of BR1), "I never really wanted to be in the band." The new single, entitled "Pillowtalk" was released alongside the accompanying music video (starring his girlfriend, model Gigi Hadid) at 12 AM Eastern Standard Time. The song is considered to be a serious departure to his previous music with One Direction, exploring darker themes and different genres. His entire debut album, dubbed "Mind of Mine", is scheduled to be released this Spring.