INTERVIEW IN SPANISH
GQ: How has your personal experience of life in quarantine been? Some people have adapted better than others. Are you one of them?
ZAYN: I think the quarantine has affected me in the same way as everyone else. I am not a person that spends too much time outside home or outdoors and I like to have my own space, so that is the only advantage, other than that now it is also driving me crazy.
GQ: I asked because there are so many poetic references to nature in the song River Road. Do you prefer life in the country or the big city?
ZAYN: I live far away from the city, so I think that makes it clear…
GQ: In one of your Instagram lives, you mentioned that you had been recording original music. Does that mean we can expect a new album soon?
ZAYN: It doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m going to put out a new album anytime soon, but the reality is that I’m always working on new music.
GQ: And have you thought about acting during this time? Many of your videos are like short movies…
ZAYN: I’ve always loved acting, so maybe yes, if the role is right.
GQ: You have often commented that your music is influenced by R&B, reggae, rap and soul. What bands or artists have influenced you the most?
ZAYN: I don’t like to single out an artist or define an entire genre for that person. I listen to all types of music, all artists, all genres. They all influence me.
GQ: You have done many collaborations with other artists, but which ones would you like to work with and which ones haven’t you been able to do it yet?
ZAYN: If I haven’t worked with them, it’s because I don’t want to work with them yet.
GQ: It’s amazing to see all the creative ways you’ve found to promote your new album, things we’ve never seen before and that come directly from you. Has having so much creative control made you feel more accomplished as an artist?
ZAYN: It’s not necessarily about gaining creative control to feel more fulfilled, it’s something I do as an artist because it’s my true purpose, so I have to do it.
GQ: We’re very curious to know more about the Harry Potter video game project…
ZAYN: They asked me if I liked Harry Potter and if I wanted to participate in the game. I’ve always been a fan so I said yes and we went from there.
GQ: The title of your album Nobody is Listening, is it a personal reference or a reference to people in general? Could you explain why you chose this title?
ZAYN: First of all, congratulations on finding it out. I feel like, in general, no one is listening at the moment. With everything going on, and in a world of unnecessarily overexposed opinions, with people yelling at each other to see who makes the most noise, I feel like no one is being heard. People love to talk, but nobody likes to listen.
GQ: You have said that Connexion is one of your favorite songs from the new album. What aspects of the song make it stand out for you?
ZAYN: I really enjoyed singing it, vocally, melodically, it was a fun song to sing.
GQ: Do you watch Bollywood movies? They have told us that it’s another one of your hobbies…
ZAYN: I watch a lot of Bollywood movies. I have so many favorite Indian movies that we would be here for quite a while if I listed them. I love all the classics, I started showing them to my girl now too, she watches them with me.
GQ: Many of the songs on Nobody is Listening - Calamity, Connexion, Tightrope, and River Road - focus on stepping into the unknown. Is this a reflection of your own journey?
ZAYN: It reflects life in general, not just mine. We never know what will come with our journey, everything is unknown.
GQ: You are an example of someone who has known how to do things his own way, which is not easy to achieve in the music business…
ZAYN: You have answered your own question. It really is not easy to have some form of creative freedom or control. The truth is that I have to continually go against the grain when people tell me to do things a certain way, but my stubbornness and my willingness to want to do things differently help me get through it.
GQ: You have almost 40 million followers on Instagram and it seems that you prefer to connect with your fans directly. What is your relationship with them?
ZAYN: I think the key when you talk to people is that you don’t generalize, you don’t say ‘this person is a fan’ or ‘this person is this or that’, you just talk to everyone like normal people, people like you. My relationship with people is good, I like to talk to everyone equally, I don’t want to reduce anyone to just one thing. We are all people.
GQ: Nowadays there are no longer ‘urban tribes’ and the styles seem to mix… Do you think that people continue to use fashion as a vehicle of expression?
ZAYN: I think fashion is always going to be used as a form of expression. Fashion is part of how I express myself, but it is not just the only way I express myself, everything is connected.
GQ: As for your tattoos, of course, they all have a meaning behind them, but aesthetically, what attracts you to the idea of getting a tattoo?
ZAYN: I like tattoos, that’s all. When I was a kid, tattoos were a rare thing - people I looked up to, and thought were cool, had tattoos. I got them because I also wanted to be different. But nowadays everyone has them, so that is no longer the case.
GQ: Are comics and animation a great inspiration for you? What are your favorites?
ZAYN: Yes they are. I love comics, I love cartoons. Again, there are too many that are good that I don’t even dare to choose my favorites!
GQ: Outside of music, in what other ways do you express yourself creatively?
ZAYN: I do all kinds of things: painting, drawing, building figures … I recently started carving wood, something that I really enjoy.
GQ: You are considered one of the most elegant men in the world. Do you have any favorite designers? We have seen you, for example, with various pieces by Bode…
ZAYN: I’m not too concerned with names, if I like the clothes, I wear them. But yes, I like Bode because the clothes are handmade and they are unique and unusual pieces.
