It’s been a little more than a year since Zayn Malik quit One Direction to pursue a solo career, and by all accounts, it seemed to be a solid decision.
In January, he released his debut solo track “Pillowtalk,” which quickly shot to the number one spot on the iTunes charts.
The song was a tremendous radio hit, even though Harry Styles may not have loved it.
His success earned him a headlining spot at the Capital Summertime Ball music festival in the UK on June 11, which also featured artists like Ariana Grande, Nick Jonas and Lukas Graham.
But at the last minute, Zayn pulled out, citing crippling anxiety as the cause.
Just one and a half hours before his scheduled performance, the singer shared this message to Instagram:
“To all those people who have been waiting to see me perform at the Capital Summertime Ball today..
“I flew into the U.K. last night to appear in my home country in front of my family, friends, and most importantly, my U.K. fans.
“Unfortunately my anxiety that has haunted me throughout the last few months around live performances has gotten the better of me…”
“With the magnitude of the event I have suffered the worst anxiety of my career.”
“I cannot apologise enough but I want to be honest with everyone who has patiently waited to see me, I promise I will do my best to make this up to everybody I’ve let down today.
“I know those who suffer anxiety will understand and I hope those who don’t can empathises with my situation.”
Fans might be initially confused. After all, Zayn has experience performing in front of many thousands of people during his time with One Direction.
But this sounds like more than a simple case of nerves. For those who suffer on a deep level, anxiety can indeed be debilitating.
Earlier this month, Zayn and his girlfriend Gigi Hadid reportedly broke up, which may have caused added stress on the singer.
Some reports have claimed the two have gotten back together already, but whatever the case, we hope Zayn finds the peace he needs.
