​Zayn Malik opens up post-One Direction exit

Zayn Malik opened up about his decision to leave the band in a new interview with the U.K.'s The Sun this week.

On Wednesday, Malik, 22, shocked fans when he announced he'd be leaving the popular boy band "to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight."

Now, we're finding out a little bit more about his reasons to exit the group and what he plans to do next.

"I did try to do something that I wasn't happy doing for a while, for the sake of other people's happiness," he told The Sun (via People). "It is crazy and wild and a bit mad, but at the same time I've never felt more in control in my life. And I feel like I'm doing what's right - right by myself and right by the boys, so I feel good."

"I feel like I've let the fans down but I can't do this anymore," Malik added. "It's not that I've turned my back on them or anything, it's just that I just can't do that anymore because it's not the real me."

Now that he's out of the group, Malik says he plans to "write, relax and chill."

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Meanwhile, Malik says his fiancee, Perrie Edwards, has been very supportive.

Social media was abuzz this week with posts from celebrities, Directioners and non-fans alike following the news.

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