Zayn Malik Gushes Over Daughter Khai: She 'Brought That Color Back In My Life'

During a recent interview, Zayn Malik opened up about fatherhood, gushing over how his daughter Khai has brought joy into his life.

The singer shares Khai with model Gigi Hadid, whom he dated for a long time before they eventually separated.

In a recent candid interview on the "Zach Sang Show," Malik spoke about fatherhood and revealed the profound impact his daughter Khai has had on his life.

Reflecting on his role as a father, the former One Direction star, said: "I feel like my daughter brought that color back in my life."

"She just makes me happy. I have so much love in me that I didn't have before she was born," he continued per the DailyMail.

Describing Khai's infectious laughter and curiosity, the proud dad added: "She laughs all day. She wants to do the silliest things and she gains so much excitement from it. She just has a whole fresh perspective on life that had somewhat become grey for me."

Malik welcomed Khai with his former girlfriend, Gigi Hadid, in September 2020 before their eventual split in October 2021.

Despite this, the 31-year-old has expressed how fatherhood has brought about positive change in his life. He spoke of Khai's influence, describing her as a "force of nature."

Malik explained, "She's given me maturity. She's forced my sensibility to become this mature father for her, this good, responsible role model that takes accountability for their actions and sticks to their work and proves that my word is bond."

During the chat, Malik also opened up about his past relationships, admitting that he has never "truly been in love" despite his previous relationship with Hadid and engagement to singer Perrie Edwards.

While discussing songs from his upcoming album, he also hinted at his past relationship with Hadid, suggesting that he has "moved on."

He referenced his emotional state during the end of their relationship in a song called "Alienated," reflecting on the mental challenges he faced.

"The first song that I wrote on the record was 'Alienated,' and it was towards the end of my relationship. Like when me and my ex were breaking up," he shared. "So there's the heavy narrative of the kinds of things I was going through mentally in that situation and what I was thinking and how I was feeling."

Malik revealed that another track, "How It Feels," is about "not being able to explain to the person that you're in love with why it is that you necessarily can't be the best version of the partner you want to be. And that's a really sad thing."

During the interview, Malik also opened up about his experience in One Direction since departing the boy band in 2015, admitting to feeling some resentment.

Reflecting on the dynamics within the group, Malik discussed how their youth and solo ambitions at the time led to a sense of "competition" among the members.

He explained: "I think the thing was, we were so young. And when we were in the band, we didn't have that level of compassion yet because we didn't understand life yet. We just were young kids that just were thrown in the situation."

The "Pillowtalk" singer acknowledged: "Now, when I look back at it, I can look at it in a positive light and be like, all these guys came from similar backgrounds to me. They had nothing, they worked their [butts] off, they wanted to sing, they got thrown in a band."

He continued, "And you know, we resented each other to a certain degree because we were solo artists that were put in a band, and we should have never felt that way. It should have never been a competition. It should have always been a camaraderie, and we should have always been there for each other and had each other's backs."

Reflecting on his past, Malik expressed regret over not fully embracing his time in One Direction.

He admitted: "The one thing I always feel bad about when I look back over my life is not enjoying the band enough. I feel like I just took things too seriously."

Zayn acknowledged that he now understands the importance of happiness and choosing a positive perspective, adding: "I'm grateful that I'm able to be happier now. I can actually enjoy things and own my own perspective a bit. You know, like a glass half full versus it being half empty. That's my choice. I get to decide what that is."

"I didn't understand the importance of just trying to be happy. I had this teen angst thing going on, a chip on my shoulder where I'm like, 'It's really cool to just be moody all the time," he concluded.