Early Years
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Zain Javadd Malik was born on January 12th, 1993, to parents Tricia and Yaser Malik. Since X Factor, he has gone by "Zayn" because he likes the way it looks, but his name is officially Zain. He is from West Lane, Baildon, Bradford, England, and has an older sister, Doniya, and two younger sisters, Waliya and Safaa. Zayn is 75% English and 25% Pakistani. He was a student at Lower Fields Primary School and Tong High School, and said that he did not fit in at these schools due to his mixed heritage. However, when Zayn was 12, he began to take pride in his appearance after moving schools.
The Beginning of a Star
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Zayn auditioned for the X Factor in Manchester when he was 17 years old. He sang "Let Me Love You" by Mario. All three judges said yes to his performance.
Below is his X Factor audition:
Below is his X Factor audition: