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Zayn Malik's raw, country-inspired return after an eight-year absence from the music scene has fans excited, but his new hairstyle has them divided.
The 31-year-old, known for his punk rock aesthetic, has seemingly stuck to the same style for years, often sporting a half-shaved haircut, keeping only the top of his head semi-long. However, as the artist embraces this new era of his career with his album Room under the stairsis taking on a new look: long and sturdy.
In an August 23 Instagram post, Malik unveiled a new version of himself, causing his followers to freak out over his unusual appearance.
The former One Direction member shared a video of him singing the acoustic version of “Shoot At Will” into a red microphone, wearing a cream-colored unbuttoned collared shirt and matching denim. While his outfit may have been cohesive, his hair was something else entirely. Malik sported thick hair and a full beard.
Fans immediately took to the comments section of her video, debating whether they preferred her old hairstyle. Perplexed viewers admitted they were surprised her hair grew so fast.
“Give me your hair care routine because how does your hair grow so fast?” one stunned woman wrote. In June, the English vocalist posted a selfie of himself with short, spiky hair — nowhere near as long as it looked in his recent Instagram video.
One satisfied follower commented: “Your hair is so pretty.”
“Damn the beard,” said a third, while another called him: “Bear man.”
One Instagram user thought the “vibe” suited him. “That caveman vibe. Zayn saving millions without cutting his hair,” he commented.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, a confused fan asked: “Does anyone know why she's growing her hair out?”
“His hair and beard are too long,” wrote another X user.
Overall, Malik's fashion sense is sinister and playful, experimenting with textures ranging from mesh to fishnet to leather, while maintaining a dark color palette.
Talking to Alex Cooper on Call her daddy In 2023, the father, who shares daughter Khai with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, admitted he struggled to find his fashion identity when he was younger.
“Everyone wore a certain type of pants or a certain type of shoes, and if you didn’t dress that way you were questioned. People would criticize you and criticize you,” she told Cooper.
“The clothes you wanted to wear, the way you wanted to cut your hair… it was always like something was questioned if you didn’t follow the norm,” Malik continued.
