In March, Zayn Malik announced his departure from One Direction, citing a need for "private time out of the spotlight." But now it seems that he's had enough of that.
On Wednesday, in a series of tweets, the former boy bander revealed that he's now signed solo record deal to make "#realmusic" with RCA, and he offered up a different reason for his exit.
While some One Direction fans have taken exception to the real-music talk, Zayn retweeted one supporter's explanation of just what "real" really means.
After Malik left 1D, a remaining member of the now-foursome confessed that they weren't exactly happy about it.
"We were a little bit angry, obviously," Liam Payne told "Late Late Show" host James Corden in May.
But Simon Cowell, who put the band together for the U.K. edition of "X Factor" back in 2010 and signed them to their very first label, is thrilled with Malik's new direction — and hints that he even had a hand in it.
As for 1D, they're currently touring North America.