Zayn Malik excites fans with new version of One Direction hit song: ‘What Makes You Beautiful’

Zayn Malik fueled One Direction reunion buzz with his latest cover song.

On Thursday, February 20, the Night Changes singer took to his Instagram stories, sending fans into a frenzy with a new version of one of the most famous songs ever released by the band.

From the original fast-paced What Makes You Beautiful, the former One Direction singer serenaded the lyrics from his verse.

“So come on, you got it wrong. To prove I’m right, I put it in a song,” with his soulful vocals, he sang at a low pace, hopping onto the chorus: “You don’t know you’re beautiful. That’s what makes you beautiful. You don’t know you’re beautiful.”

Given that the Dusk Till Dawn hitmaker has rarely acknowledged his past with One Direction since leaving the band in 2015, Zayn’s decision to record and share a cover of one of the band’s 2011 hits has left fans wondering if he’s open to revisiting his time with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson.

Another possibility is that the cover serves as a tribute from Zayn, 32, honouring his time with the band or remembering his late friend and bandmate, Liam Payne, who tragically passed away on October 16, 2024, at the age of 32 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires.