Zayn Malik is officially a part of the One Direction fan club!

This past Thursday night, One Direction released their first single without band member Zayn Malik. The surprise track titled “Drag Me Down” received positive feedback from fans, including Malik E! News reports.

"Proud of my boys the new single is sick," Malik tweeted on Saturday afternoon. He added, "Big love. 🙂 x"

After Malik left the band back in March, fans speculated that there was bad blood between the boys and that was the reasoning why he left. But on Wednesday, Malik announced that he has signed a solo record deal and explained the reasoning for his departure. He tweeted, “I guess I never explained why I left , it was for this moment to be given the opportunity to show you who i really am! #realmusic #RCA !!”

Besides Malik starting a solo career, One Direction releasing their first single as a four member band, and Louis Tomlinson expecting his first child, the five boys celebrated a huge milestone on July 23rd. Band member Liam Payne tweeted about their five year anniversary of starting One Direction. He described it as an “amazing journey” and expressed his gratitude towards their fans.

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