​Zayn Malik opens up post-One Direction exit

Zayn Malik opened up about his decision to leave the band in a new interview with the U.K.'s The Sun this week.

On Wednesday, Malik, 22, shocked fans when he announced he'd be leaving the popular boy band "to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight."

Now, we're finding out a little bit more about his reasons to exit the group and what he plans to do next.

"I did try to do something that I wasn't happy doing for a while, for the sake of other people's happiness," he told The Sun (via People). "It is crazy and wild and a bit mad, but at the same time I've never felt more in control in my life. And I feel like I'm doing what's right - right by myself and right by the boys, so I feel good."

"I feel like I've let the fans down but I can't do this anymore," Malik added. "It's not that I've turned my back on them or anything, it's just that I just can't do that anymore because it's not the real me."

Now that he's out of the group, Malik says he plans to "write, relax and chill."

Meanwhile, Malik says his fiancee, Perrie Edwards, has been very supportive.

Social media was abuzz this week with posts from celebrities, Directioners and non-fans alike following the news.