The little boy from Bradford all grown up! Zayn Malik made his music industry debut as part of One Direction after his X Factor days in 2010. Now, the “Pillowtalk” crooner is looking back at his home life, and sharing details about growing up in Bradford, England.
“Bradford’s not, obviously, like Pennsylvania in terms of the wealth and the way that it’s looked after and taken care of,” Zayn revealed on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast in July 2023. “It’s an impoverished community. There’s people below working class that have a hard environment that they’re growing up in. Everyone’s kind of got some issues going on at home or something’s happening. Even if it’s on the street or whatever. Wherever you go there’s a lot of conflict.”
The musician, who now lives in Pennsylvania, explained that his upbringing was “different” compared to where he lives now. Keep reading for all the details on Zayn’s hometown.
Where Is Zayn Malik From?
The singer grew up in the city of Bradford in England.
“I’m very grateful for where I grew up because it it definitely shaped and molded a lot of identity for me. Early on I was questioned, interrogated about my identity because of my environment,” Zayn explained during the podcast interview. “You have to have a good understanding of who you are. I’m really grateful for that. It helped cement my own identity myself, I think.”
In terms of his identity, Zayn referred partly to his dad, Yaser Malik, being Pakistani and his mom, Trisha Malik, being English. But, he was also discussing his “fashion” choices, noting that things were “always” questioned when he was growing up.
“If you weren’t doing the norm that everybody was doing … everyone would wear a certain type of pants or a certain type of shoe, and if you weren’t dressed that way, you would get questioned about it,” he explained. “People would be very in your face and give you s–t.”
Where Did Zayn Malik Grow Up?
Zayn grew up in a “terraced house” alongside his parents and three sisters, he shared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast.
“In a rented property, we never owned our own house. It was a small house — three bedrooms, kitchen, living room,” he recalled. “But the streets are all like — every house is stuck to the one next to it … it’s a bit different for sure.”
Does Zayn Malik Have a Bradford Accent?
After the “Call Her Daddy” interview was released, fans were quick to notice Zayn’s strong accent. Most were quick to point out that, after all these years, he’s still speaking like he was at the beginning of his career thanks to his Bradford roots!
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