LONDON -- He knows his decision was "crazy" and "wild," but Zayn Malik says he just couldn't keep going with One Direction anymore.
In his first interview since leaving the boy band, Malik told The Sun newspaper that he let Directioners down.
"Basically, I'm only upset [because] I feel like I may have let them down," he reportedly said.. "It's not that I've turned my back on them [the fans] or anything, it's just that I just can't do that anymore because it's not real to me."
And Malik doesn't sound like he's regretting his decision. "But I've never felt more in control in my life. I feel like I'm doing what's right, right by myself and right by the boys," he told the newspaper.
Malik's departure prompted many Directioners to turn to social media for support, as they were upset at the singer's decision to part ways with One Direction's four other members: Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne.
Two days after Malik made the announcement, that outpouring of emotion continued with #AlwaysInOurHeartsZaynMalik, which was still trending on Twitter worldwide Friday.
An employers' advice service in Manchester revealed it had received a number of calls from employers who wanted to know what to say to employees who requested compassionate leave following Malik's decision. Compassionate leave is usually requested by an employee after a close bereavement.
But the show must go on and One Direction's four remaining members continued Wednesday night, performing without Malik.