English singer/song-writer, Zayn Malik, formerly of the international pop sensation One Direction, is prominently gracing February's cover of Elle India.
The magazine and Malik's fans are super thrilled for the heartthrob's debut as the cover star.
Malik is sporting a white cricket sweater from the Hilfiger Collection with a V-neck line that revealed a glimpse of his tattooed chest. With his five o'clock shadow, his thumb casually brushes the corner of his lips, and we're all on board with whatever he's got up his sleeve.
If Twitter is any indication, this issue will surely be flying off newssstands.
Jason Rembert was Malik's stylist on the photo shoot that took roughly 4 hours against the backdrop of Manhattan in the Lotte New York Palace Hotel. Among the wardrobe options were "bomber jackets, denim, sharp suits and lots of prints and textures."
Fashion editor of the magazine, Rahul Vijay, was excited to feature the recording artist and gave insight into Malik's look for the cover.
I kept the mood true to his rock 'n' roll personality and the choice of clothes was a mix of bomber jackets, denim, sharp suits and lots of prints and textures. I hadn't heard his music before and I just knew of him as a pop star who was dating Gigi Hadid. I would play his tracks in preparation for the shoot while doing call-ins. The white cricket sweater from Hilfiger Collection with the neck adjusted to show off his tattoos seemed like an appropriate cover image. It's rock'n'roll – preppy
Malik, who goes mononymously by the name of Zayn, shares his love of Bollywood in the interview. His passion for the genre is so strong, he made his girlfriend, Gigi Hadid, watch Shah Rukh Khan's Indian romantic film, Devdas.
People went nuts over the cover.
Vijay praised, "He's what a star his age should be: humble, calm and very easy to work with. He doesn't like to smile in pictures, but that's fashion so it works."
This user was pleased to hear her idol was a good guy to work with.
The singer was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England, to a British Pakistani father and an English mother who is part Irish. Apparently, she prepares excellent Indian cuisine. "He loves Indian food and claims his mom makes the best Indian food around," Vijay said.
Zayn's career is gaining major momentum and fans are shook.
If he's such a fan of the genre, could he be starring in a Bollywood picture soon? It could be a matter of time.
Malik left the chart-topping boy band back in 2015 to seek out a career as a solo artist, and it seems the one direction he's undoubtedly headed towards is skyward.
H/T - PeepingMoon, Twitter, Wikipedia, ELLE
@jimmykimmel/Threads 
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social