Zayn Malik addresses racism he faced in One Direction in a powerful new song teaser, rapping about being mocked as “the Asian” in a “white band.”
Zayn Malik has dropped a teaser for an upcoming song—apparently titled “Fuchsia Sea”—in which he raps about the racism and Islamophobia he faced as the only person of color in One Direction.
In an Instagram clip released on July 4, the former boy band member delivers pointed lyrics over a laid-back hip-hop beat.
He asks listeners, “Do you remember every conversation? ’Cause I have been conscious of every connotation,” before driving home his experience: “I worked hard in a white band, and they still laughed at the Asian.”
By naming One Direction “the white band,” Malik highlights the contrast between his hard work and the prejudice he encountered alongside Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and the late Liam Payne.
The group rose to fame after appearing on The X Factor in 2010, went on to release four albums, and achieved global superstardom—yet Malik’s status as a Muslim of Pakistani and English heritage made him a target for hateful online narratives throughout the 2010s.
He revisits that era in his teaser, referencing his grandfather’s immigrant journey (“If my granddad could go back, lad, there’s a fat chance of a backhand”) and framing his own story as one of perseverance and pride.
In his 2015 cover story for The Fader, Malik spoke out against rumors tying him to the Sept. 11 attacks and ISIS, insisting that he was simply “a normal person as well as following my religion.”
He added that he was proud to be “first of my kind,” providing representation for Muslim fans.
“Fuchsia Sea” marks Malik’s first new music since his 2024 album Room Under the Stairs, which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200.
Though he hasn’t announced a release date, the teaser’s “coming soon” caption promises more personal reflections and candid storytelling—a continuation of the honest, genre-bending approach he’s become known for as a solo artist.
