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Shirtless Zayn Malik Debuts New Leather Daddy Image, Addresses One Direction's Gay Rumors

The former boy bander says his upcoming debut solo album "Befour" was inspired by R&B, Bollywood, and '90s rap.

Zayn Malik is giving off serious leather daddy vibes in a behind-the-scenes video from the set of his Fader magazine shoot.

The 22-year-old former One Directioner is clearly setting up his new image — a casually rebellious bad boy, slowly stripping off his leather jacket to sit atop his motorcycle shirtless with a well-placed hand over his crotch. It's the singer's first shoot and interview since leaving the band that made him famous at 17.

Zayn talks about his forthcoming solo debut album Befour and the life experiences that inspired his sudden musical pivot. "I used to listen to a lot of Bollywood, being a kid, so that definitely influenced the music a little bit," he said. "And as I got older, I started listening to a lot of my dad's old records, like '90s stuff. A lot of R&B and rap."

Zayn describes the new album as "R&B-rock" with a touch of reggae, and says he's finally reached a point to where at least one of his former bandmates, Liam Payne, is talking to him again.

"He didn’t understand it at the time, but he now fully gets why I had to do what I did. He understands that it’s my thing, that I had to do that, and that basically he wants to meet up and sit down and have a good chat in person, and he wants to do some music and work on some stuff aside from being in the band," he said.

Zayn also discusses the subject of gay inter-band relationships that've always seemed to follow the men of 1D.

“There’s no secret relationships going on with any of the band members,” he explains. “It’s not funny, and it still continues to be quite hard for them. They won’t naturally go put their arm around each other because they’re conscious of this thing that’s going on, which is not even true. They won’t do that natural behavior. But it’s just the way the fans are. They’re so passionate, and once they get their head around an idea, that’s the way it is regardless of anything. If it wasn’t for that passionate, like, almost obsession, then we wouldn’t have the success that we had.”

His thoughts seem to reflect those of Liam Payne, who told Attitude in September that the persistent rumors are "just not true" and make him mad.

Below, check out Zayn's big reveal in his first shoot and interview since leaving One Direction:

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