Is Zayn Malik Slamming 1D With The Title Of His Latest Song?

When Zayn Malik left One Direction early this spring, we knew it would only be a matter of time before he started dropping tracks on his own. Ladies and gentlemen: good news! That day has come. Well, almost, anyway. In a preview for a soon-to-be-released interview with Fader — his first major sit-down as a solo artist — Malik discusses the way his music has shifted since striking out on his own. "It's a nice feeling, to come out of a place where you are being told what to do," he explains, "because of certain expectations, or certain things that people want to see. [This record] is just all my perspective, and that's fully liberating." The track playing in the background of this confessional moment? One of his own: Apparently, what you're hearing is a snippet from the song "Befour," a tune with a trancelike sound that is very clearly a departure from Malik's 1D days. If you arched an eyebrow at the spelling of "Befour," you're not alone: We, too, are wondering if maybe this is Malik's way of telling his former bandmates to go ahead and just be four, all on their own without him. Because clearly, he has his own stuff going on. Watch the video (and hear the track snippet!) below. The full Fader interview with Zayn Malik will be available on the magazine's site at 6 p.m. Eastern Time, November 17.