Zayn Malik felt relieved to sing about sex after leaving One Direction. The 23-year-old star quit the chart-topping boyband in March 2015 and has subsequently adopted a more mature sound with the launch of his debut album Pillowtalk. In an excerpt from his eponymous autobiography, he said: "Every lyric I've ever written has a story behind it. All the hard work that went into the creation of Pillowtalk was worthwhile because, as soon as it was finished, I intuitively felt I was on the right path." later adding "It was a sick cut, nailing the exact sound I wanted to capture in my music. I was also able to sing about a subject that I hadn't really been able to go near while I was in One Direction: sex." Zayn also revealed he hopes his autobiography will help to clarify some of the misconceptions that surround him.