One Direction Reacts To Zayn Malik’s Exit; Louis Tomlinson Says Next Album Will Be ‘The Best’ Despite Zayn’s Absence

One Direction will continue to move forward with their future projects without Zayn Malik. Several members of the band reached out on Twitter to assure their fans that they were working hard on the next album and appreciated the continued support. The 22-year-old Malik announced his official exit from the band on Wednesday and stated that he wanted to “relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”

Louis Tomlinson, 23, sent out a tweet on Thursday morning that tried to stay on the positive side. Despite Malik’s departure, the singer said the band was making an effort “to deliver the best album we've ever made.” He also thanked fans for their support.

While his tweets indicate that he is taking the change in stride, his Twitter bio still says, “1/5 of One Direction.” This has been a particularly rough couple of weeks for Tomlinson. He also announced last week that he broke up with his girlfriend of four years, Eleanor Calder.

Harry Styles, 21, kept his message short and sweet. While he sent his love to Directioners, he's reportedly not taking Malik’s exit very well. At a concert in Indonesia after the announcement, the musician allegedly broke down in tears while on stage.

Niall Horan, 21, assured fans on Thursday that the tour would continue as planned and the performances would be better than ever. The band already adjusted to performing as a quartet after Malik left the tour a week before, citing “stress” as the cause.

Liam Payne, 21, tweeted several hours after Malik’s exit had been announced. Unlike his bandmates, the vocalist was rather blunt about the eventful day, calling it “long and strange.”

One Direction will be back on stage in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday.