NA-SURPRISE ang fans -- pati na ang napakaraming tagahanga sa Pilipinas -- ng One Direction, ang British-Irish pop band na isa sa pinakasikat na boy band ngayon sa buong mundo, sa biglaang pagko-quit ng isa sa pinakaguwapong member ng grupo na si Zayn Malik.

Sa kanyang inilabas na statement last Wednesday, March 25, idinahilan nitong nais niyang  mamuhay ng normal at age 22, hindi pinagkakaguluhan, gaya ng isang pribadong mamamayan.

Pero sa likod ng kanyang pahayag, may kinalaman diumano sa kanyang pagko-quit ang last-minute decision niyang huwag sumama sa Asian Tour (katatapos lang nila sa ‘Pinas) ng 1D. Na-stress daw siya pagkalat ng kanyang photos showing him partying with another woman in Thailand , gayong engaged na siya kay Perrie Edwards ng Little Mix.

“I’d like to apologize to the fans if I’ve let anyone down, but I have to do what feels right in my heart. I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” statement ni Malik sa Facebook page ng One Direction.

May apat pang remaining band members, sina Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Harry Styles at Louis Tomlinson, at sila ang magtutuloy ng kanilang current world tour. Ire-release ang kanilang fifth album sa huling bahagi ng taon, ayon pa sa statement.

Ito naman ang reaction ng kanyang mga kabanda: “We’re really sad to see Zayn go, but we totally respect his decision and send him all our love for the future. The past five years have been beyond amazing, we’ve gone through so much together, so we will always be friends.”

May pahayag din si Simon Cowell, the British music and television impresario na naglunsad sa banda: “I would like to say thank you to Zayn for everything he has done for One Direction. Since I first met Zayn in 2010, I have grown very, very fond -- and immensely proud -- of him. “I have seen him grow in confidence and I am truly sorry to see him leave. As for One Direction, fans can rest assured that Niall, Liam, Harry and Louis are hugely excited about the future of the band.”

Naging top trending sa Twitter ang  announcement ni Malik dahil sa hindi makapaniwala ang fans at hindi matanggap na mawawala siya sa grupo.

–Ador Saluta