Zayn Malik’s first ever headlining solo show was comically short – but fans didn’t seem to care

The atmosphere at the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire during Zayn Malik’s first-ever headlining show can only be described as frantic. 

As fans filed into the London venue to see the 31-year-old singer’s first show in nine years, they passed a crowd of people holding up phones and signs that read things like: ‘Came all the way from Brazil, looking for one ticket?’ and ‘Will pay anything for Zayn ticket (cash!)’ 

Once the lucky few made it inside, phones immediately came out to document every moment of the evening. In the lead-up to the former One Directioner’s first appearance in nearly a decade, fans snapped photos of every inch of the stage, and things only got more frenetic when a screen appeared to play a short documentary.

The film, heralded by screams of an almost supersonic decibel, depicted the making of Zayn’s new album – Room Under the Stairs – and the singer’s preparation for the gig. 

When the pop star finally emerged in the flesh, looking endearingly sheepish, the repressed energy of 2,000 people who definitely practiced their first kiss on a Zayn Malik poster hit the stage like a wall. 

When the screaming finally subsided, with many fans audibly in tears, Zayn began playing songs from his new album with none of the charisma one might expect from someone who performed at the biggest arenas in the world as a teenager. 

The singer was met with a deeply enthusiastic crowd for his first show back in nine years (Picture: Getty Images)

It quickly became evident that the evening was more of a taped dress rehearsal than a concert, with camera people roaming through the audience and circling the stage throughout the pop star’s six short songs. 

But diehard Zayn fans know that the evening was a big deal for the PILLOWTALK hitmaker in more ways than one. 

In his 2016 memoir, simply titled Zayn, the singer reflected on his struggles with stage fright and anxiety: ‘I found it really frustrating that, even now that I was being upfront about what the issue was, some people still found reasons to doubt it,’ he said of his struggles with anxiety. ‘But that’s the industry.’

While he explained that being in One Direction allowed him to get past his anxiety because he wasn’t the sole center of attention, solo performance was simply too much for him. 

‘As a solo performer, I felt much more exposed, and the psychological stress of performing had just gotten to be too much for me to handle — at that moment, at least.’ He wrote of his decision to cancel his planned appearance at Summertime ball in 2016. 

The crowd waited for nearly 10 minutes after Zayn left the stage (Picture: Brooke Johnson/Metro.co.uk)

The singer couldn’t have asked for a more supportive crowd for his return. After he exited the stage (only about 20 minutes after he first appeared), the lights stayed down for nearly 10 minutes, during which the crowd pleaded for an encore with consistent desperation – straight into the lenses of the many cameras pointed at them. 

Still, the exceptional singing voice that has always set Zayn apart from the rest of One Direction was on full display, even as the crowd’s singing nearly drowned him out (It’s unclear whether this was because they had listened to the album enough times since it dropped that morning to learn the words, or because the lyrics were displayed on a screen behind the singer like a karaoke bar in Soho). 

The singer only took the stage for about 20 minutes (Picture: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

Zayn told the crowd that it ‘felt good’ to be back (Picture: Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Getty Images)

While he may lack the stage presence of his former bandmate Harry Styles, Zayn fans make it clear that they’re endeared by and even deeply defensive of his relatively unassuming persona. 

Two longtime fans, Grace and Kira, spoke about the singer after the concert like proud parents. While Grace admitted that it was ‘a bit short,’ Kira chimed in defensively, chastising her friend: ‘For his first performance, obviously he’s getting back into it, so short I feel like he was more comfortable with.’ 

They both agreed, with matching giddy smiles: ‘He was definitely a bit nervous but he was amazing, like honestly.’

Gemma from Morocco was obviously annoyed at the suggestion that fans might be disappointed with the concert length: ‘It was short, but for his first live performance after everything he’s been through, it was worth it.’

She wasn’t the only one to reference the hardships the singer has faced since leaving One Direction, though no one seemed particularly clear on what those struggles were, exactly. 

When pressed, all Sammie – who traveled from Aberdeen for the show – could name in terms of Zayn’s struggles was: ‘Well, like, in his personal life. Like his inner journey and all.’ 

Still, a resounding sense of pride echoed through the crowd as they filtered into the street. ‘I’m so proud of him as well, we all had like little signs that said “We’re so proud of you.” So so so proud of him,’ Zoey and Fatima, who travelled from Buckinghamshire in matching T-shirts, told Metro.co.uk. 

Zoey gushed when asked if the money and time spent on travel were worth it for the brief concert: ‘Any day! Any day! I’d do it every single day for him. I love him with all my heart. I’ve loved him for 14 years, since one direction. So it’s like one of those things.’

Zayn has made very few public appearances in recent years (Picture: Getty Images)

Matilda, Nayha, Allison, and Sarah, who have been fans since 2012 (they clarified that they have always been Zayn fans, not One Direction fans) spoke about the singer as if they were personally responsible for writing and spreading his PR strategy. 

‘You can tell he has healed a bit and he’s ready to get back to it and excited for the future. It was so lovely to be a part of that and feel the energy in the room,’ Matilda said emphatically. 

Nayha chimed in in defense of the length of the show: ‘I mean we knew it was six songs. He said it would be on Instagram Live. And it was his favourite six songs, songs he was really passionate about. It made it more special that it was short.’ 

Zayn first rose to fame as a member of the boyband One Direction (Picture: Alamy Stock Photo)

Allison sighed with genuine emotion: ‘I definitely feel closer to him. I understand where he’s at.

‘He’s been so MIA, so hearing so much from him from his heart means the world. You can just tell there’s genuine joy. We’re just happy he’s back.’

Zayn is more than a little aware of his fan’s doting patience. During a 2023 appearance on the podcast Call Her Daddy, he revealed that while he was nervous to perform again after so long, he knew his fans were willing to wait until he was ready. 

‘That’s one thing I can say, my fan base has always been supportive in that manner,’ he said. 

‘They’re always just like, “We’re here, we’ve got you. Like, when you’re ready we’ve got you,” I feel that love for sure. I’m ready to prove these people right.’

Zayn was backed by an all female band (Picture: Getty Images)

At one point during the concert, Zayn began to sing the wrong song, murmuring, ‘my bad’ into the microphone as the band scrambled to restart the track. The crowd reacted as if he had just done a backflip while announcing he’d found the cure for hangovers.

Later on, he said in his charming Northern accent, ‘This feels good. I’m not gonna lie, I missed this,’ causing cheers to shake the venue, if not the entire neighbourhood. 

If Zayn’s brief return to the stage proved anything, it’s that some things – like boyband fandom – aren’t touched by the erosion of time.

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