Zayn Malik opted for a whole new "direction" on his eagerly-awaited fourth solo album.

The former One Direction star has revealed he gets "really sad" on some of the tracks on his follow-up to 2021's 'Nobody is Listening', and some of the songs are about his two-year-old daughter Khai - whom he has with supermodel Gigi Hadid - and other personal experiences.

Zayn told the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast: “I’ve got a few really sad ones [songs], yeah.

“It’s a different sound for me, and it’s got like some more narrative going on like real-life experiences and stuff.

“Yeah, my daughter’s mentioned in there a couple [of] times."

Zayn will release the single 'Love Like This' on July 21.

He said: “It’s just a summer jam. It’s a good vibe. It just feels like summer.”

The 'Pillowtalk' hitmaker, 30, has suffered with anxiety when it comes to performing live, and though he still gets "very nervous", he's hopeful he can overcome his fear and sing live for fans.

He said: “I’m still very nervous now because it’s been a few years that I’ve been on stage. But I have this energy to like, I feel that I have something to give and I want to get on stage and be there again. To feel that.”

Zayn has yet to headline a major solo concert and previously axed planned shows due to his crippling stage fright, but he's always been eager to perform for his fans.

He tweeted in 2019: "F*** me, I can not wait to get on stage ! Mans got tunes that bang for days ! Haha feelin ready (sic)"

The 'I Don't Wanna Live Forever' singer - who quit the chart-topping group in March 2015 - previously explained one of the reasons for his anxiety around performing was not having worked out how to do a solo show which felt natural, especially as he only had one solo LP, 'Mind of Mine', to draw on at the time.

He explained: "Like, there were a lot of upbeat dance [songs on the album], and I don't dance, so it would have required a lot of extra dancers and stuff going on, and I don't necessarily want to do that."

Zayn insisted he wants everything he does to feel authentic, but hopes people don't think he's "arrogant".

He said: "I don't do things that I wouldn't buy into. I try to explain that to people and hope that they understand - it doesn't come from a place of being arrogant or above anything."