Zayn Malik is finally opening up about the prejudice he faced during his time with the global phenomenon, One Direction, and he’s doing it in the way he knows best: through music.

On Saturday, the 32-year-old singer dropped a powerful preview of a new rap track titled ‘“Fuchsia Sea”’ on his Instagram.

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And while the beat hits hard, it’s the lyrics that really land the punch. Here Zayn appears to reflect on the racism and alienation he encountered while rising to fame as the only South Asian member of a largely white boy band.

One striking line that’s caught fans’ attention: “I worked hard in a white band, and they still laughed at the Asian.”

It’s a clear, raw statement about the microaggressions and systemic biases Zayn may have experienced during One Direction’s meteoric rise.

 

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A post shared by Zayn Malik (@zayn)

The lyric sits alongside others just as introspective, with Zayn rapping about being hyper-aware of the way conversations and judgments laced with hidden meanings: “Do you remember every conversation? ’Cause I have been conscious of every connotation.”

The post, which included lyrics via his Instagram Stories, teased that the full song will be “coming soon,” igniting curiosity and emotion among his global fanbase.

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This glimpse into Zayn’s mind and music comes just months after he revisited his roots by performing One Direction’s ‘”Night Changes”’ live for the first time in a decade.

That performance took place in March during a concert in Mexico City and marked a rare acknowledgment of his time in the band.

“This is the first time I’ve sung that song in 10 years,” he told the cheering crowd, visibly moved. “Thank you, that was f—— amazing. I almost cried.”

Zayn, who joined One Direction as a teenager on ‘The X Factor UK’ in 2010 alongside Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, and the late Liam Payne, became part of what would soon be one of the biggest boy bands in the world.

Back in March 2015, when he left the band at just 22, he cited a need for normalcy. In a candid Facebook post at the time, he wrote: “I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”

He also made it clear that he had no hard feelings toward his bandmates, calling them “four friends for life.”