Zayn Malik Working With Naughty Boy, May Embark on Solo Rap Career

Another day, another rumor surrounding a member of One Direction. According to MTV, producer Naughty Boy has been writing and recording with Zayn Malik, which isn't a huge surprise if you follow either of them on Twitter because they're constantly tweeting and retweeting each other. But in an Naughty Boy did with the Sun, he applauded Zayn's rapping skills and hinted that the 1D singer might be trying to break out on his own as a rapper.

Naughty Boy confirmed with the Sun that he and Zayn collaborated on a track that will be appearing on his sophomore album. He also told the Independent that he was "really impressed by him and his writing ability." Considering how good Zayn is at everything he ever does, ranging from singing to breathing to standing, we're not surprised.

While we definitely do not encourage Zayn to exit One Direction and embark on a solo rap career because it would actually destroy us, we're totally onboard for a side-project. Sometimes you need to keep things fresh, you know? We totally get it.

And Simon Cowell clearly agrees with us. While he also wants One Direction to stay together as a group for the rest of eternity, he believes the guys should pursue whatever projects they're interested in when they have free time. He told the Mirror, "I hear speculation all the time that they're going solo. My advice is they should stay together but still do things they want as a little bit on the side." Agreed, Simon.

See Yearbook Photos of Zayn Malik + More Celebs!