Zayn Malik’s Glow-Up Since the Early One Direction Days Is Really Something — See His Transformation!

2010

Baby boy Zayn was definitely the most suave of the bunch back in 2010 when the boys first got their taste of success on the British competition show. He was mysterious and had a stare for the ages — and the pipes of a seasoned professional. Needless to say, he garnered a whole host of dedicated fangirls quite quickly … and for all the right reasons.

But don’t get us wrong, he still had that boyish charm. When he was around the other lads, Zayn tended to light right up and find his place amid the other four class clowns. Honestly, every time the group was together, it was clear they were up to no good — and Zayn was right along with them. Look at that smile!

2011

By the following year, the Bradford, U.K. native had already settled into his bad boy persona … and technically, he was a couple years early (the rest of the guys didn’t try the whole ~greaser~ thing until 2013). He wore a lot of punk-esque jackets and even started doing his hair in a bit of a front quiff. It was clear which boy band archetype he would be playing throughout the upcoming years.

Yeah, and he even picked up cigarettes. That’s how dedicated to the ~lewk~ he was. Kidding, but it definitely did shock fans to find out about his habit so early in the band’s career. Regardless, he was starting to take fashion risks and carve out a style and persona for himself. It still feels like he was the first of the lads to truly discover himself and who he wanted to be.

2012

In 2012, the boys all took on a color-coordinated, preppy vibe to promote their first two albums, Up All Night and Take Me Home. Zayn kept in line with his personal style despite the cookie-cutter fashion choices made as a group … at least, for a little while.

2012

Toward the end of the year, he started branching out more. Between the leather jackets making a comeback and the blonde streak in his quiff, the then 21-year-old definitely took ownership of his first year of adulthood. Plus, that facial hair, y’all. Our boy was becoming a man.

2013

2013 was the year puberty really smacked Zayn in the face, if we’re being honest. Around the debut of their third album, Midnight Memories, the singer rocked a lot of slick suiting and black ‘fits.

2013

Plus, the tattoos really started to become a part of Zayn’s overall look and persona. Needless to say, 2013 was a stellar year for a dude who was already on a global high, between his music and his personal fanbase. Swoon.

2014

In the beginning of 2014 — his last full year as a member of 1D — Zayn dealt with a lot of touring anxiety and other triggers, but he definitely didn’t let it show. He continued with his almost James Bond-like ‘fits and his jaw got even more chiseled. Who knew we could be so lucky, you know?

2014

By the end of the year, though, the crooner had grown out his hair — and for the very first time, we started to see a new side of Zayn. This would be the first of many hair changes he would go through in the coming years, finding it to be a huge part of his personal expression going forward.

2015

After leaving the boy band that made him famous in early 2015, Zayn laid low for a while before being spotted at Paris Fashion Week over the summer. There, he debuted a blonde buzzcut that no one expected — but a lot of ladies loved. We know we did. It was a great look for the Englishman.

2015

But shortly after, he dyed it back to his natural color. We’d continue to play this game with the singer for the next few years as he experimented with his locks, but continued to approach red carpets and stepping out publicly as a runway all his own. By the time he made his exit from the band, he was approaching 23 years old — and he definitely looked smoldering for his age.

2016

In 2016, we got this incredible rose gold hairdo from Zayn, complete with two full arms of tattoos. The boy did, in fact, become the man. Plus, he was riding high off the release of his debut album, PILLOWTALK, that year so you know he was totally feeling himself.

2016

Ever the experimenter, he went back to black with the hair — and back to the awards show circuit, where he was showered with praise for his debut. Though fans and followers were shocked by the quickness of his departure from the group and the start of his subsequent solo career, he did set the precedent for the group’s individual solo careers to come.

2017

In 2017, the heartthrob worked on several one-off singles and collabs with other artists, such as PartyNextDoor and Sia, while continuing to lay low. He looked pretty dang good while he did it though, continuing to experiment with his look.

2017

See what we mean? By the end of the year, the boy was bald again (which we truly cannot complain about). In fact, it got to the point where it was pretty exciting to see what Zayn would be wearing if he happened to step out in public or showed up to an event. Risks were being taken!

2018

2018 was a big year for Zayn in three distinct ways: His style truly popped off, his relationship with model Gigi Hadid ended and his second solo album, Icarus Falls, was released. Talk about going from zero to sixty! This look from a day out in NYC just goes to show the risks he was willing to take with his street style.

2018

His album, which hit the airwaves at the end of the year, was a 27-track opus that was heavily debated by fans and music critics alike. Some thought it was indulgent, others thought it was a masterpiece. No matter how you felt about the album, you just couldn’t deny the boy looked like a slice when he released it.

2019

Talk about really laying low. The most we saw of Zayn in 2019 was when he graced us with a rare Instagram selfie to let us all know he was, in fact, still looking gorgeous. He didn’t make many public appearances over the course of the year and only released three collabs, one of which was a cover of “A Whole New World” from Disney‘s Aladdin.

2019

Zayn posted this selfie with a shaved head in October 2019 … and then all was quiet for months.

January 2020

A few months later, the heartthrob shared a photo of himself bundled up on the soccer field. Isn’t he a cutie?

February 2020

While on a trip to Las Vegas with his cousins, Zayn shared a snapshot of himself hanging by his hotel pool. “Had a great time, thanks for everything,” he captioned the Instagram pic.

July 2020

After months of silence while he acclimated to his new role as a daddy-to-be, Zayn shared this glowing selfie in July.

October 2020

A month after his daughter’s birth, Zayn gave fans a glimpse of his face — and his music video for his single, “Better.”

January 2021

In Zayn’s “Vibez” music video, he showed off a sexy blond buzzed haircut.

Late January 2021

By this time around, Zayn parted ways with his blonde locks and started rocking a new light, aqua blue hair color.

July 2021

The “Story of My Life” singer ditched the blue color by the summer, opting for a fresh buzzed cut look.

September 2021

Although Zayn has been adding to his tattoo collection for years, he began flaunting more ink toward the end of the year. From the neck down over his arms, the artist added more red and black tattoos.

October 2021

Before ending the year, Zayn started experimenting with his style more, wearing a classy hat to offset his neck tattoos.

January 2022

The “Magic” artist started the new year off with a completely different look! While donning some retro sunglasses, Zayn showed off his beard, having grown out his hair slightly.

April 2022

Zayn showed off a completely new look in a rare Instagram post. His hand and neck tattoos were clearly visible as he looked off into the distance.

July 2022

For his latest look, Zayn partially dyed his hair pink and opted to shave his go-to beard.

October 2022

Zayn’s locks sure grow fast! Three months after debuting his pink hair, it had already grown out to the point where the color was only visible on the tips, with his longer, dark dresses more visible. In the October 26 Instagram photo, the singer had also grown a full beard and mustache, which he didn’t have in his July selfie.