Have One Direction Been Hinting At Zayn Malik’s Departure?

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I don’t know about you, but I can’t seem to fully comprehend the fact that Zayn is no longer a member of One Direction.

It just doesn’t feel right. I mean, I get it, Zayn wants to be a “normal” guy and wants “private time out of the spotlight,” but from now on, there will always be a piece missing (tear).

more: ‘Zayn Left One Direction, Holy Sh-t’: Your 7 Stages Of Recovery

Yet, Zayn must have been thinking about this for a while. Yes, he left the tour due to “stress,” but the decision to leave the biggest boy band in the world after five years probably doesn’t happen overnight.

So, that got me thinking: Have One Direction been hinting towards becoming a foursome for a while now? Let’s look at the evidence.

Four

Their last album was appropriately (or not appropriately, depending on how you look at it) titled Four. Granted, it was their fourth album, but this is classic foreshadowing.
Drama On “Today”

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The band appeared as a foursome for the first time on the “Today” show last November because Zayn was ill with a “tummy bug.” But things got weird when co-host Matt Lauer questioned if Zayn had a substance abuse issue.
“Spaces” Between Us

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Fans will no doubt be reading into 1D lyrics for clues. I mean, hello “Night Changes.” But it seems like “Spaces” may offer a glimpse at what might have been going on inside the group. With lyrics like “Who’s gonna be the first to say goodbye?” and “The spaces between us/ Keep getting deeper/It’s harder to reach her/ Even though I’ve tried,” the song paints a pretty clear picture of a break-up.
Zayn Never Liked Big Crowds

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In this bonus scene from their documentary “This Is Us” Zayn opens up about how ever since he was young, he’s needed “me time.” In this clip, he says, “When I was a kid, when I was in a room with too many people for too long and there was too much going on, I’d just go upstairs and sit in a room by myself. And just play with my toys by myself because I just wanted 5-10 minutes by myself.”
Tour For Four

Earlier this week, One Direction’s tour rider was revealed indicating that the band had only requested four rooms. Now, we don’t know if this was sent out to stadiums and arenas before Zayn left the tour due to “stress,” or because of rumored couple Larry Stylinson, but it’s definitely some sort of clue.
Zayn’s A Naughty Boy

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Producer Naughty Boy confirmed that he collaborated with Zayn on a track for his sophomore album, and also praised Zayn’s rap skills. He said, “I’m really impressed by him and his writing ability. I spoke to Simon (Cowell) about it recently and it looks like it might be a single.”
Will We Still Be Mates?

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During a scene in their documentary, the guys sit around a campfire and reflect on their success. Louis says, “What’s mad is that one day we won’t be doing this!” Zayn then adds, “Do you think we will still be mates?” And they all agree that they will. Cue waterfall of tears, now.