Zayn Malik reveals why he teamed up with Jisoo; says his daughter's a massive fan of BLACKPINK

Zayn Malik talks about collaborating with BLACKPINK's Jisoo

Zayn Malik and BLACKPINK’s Jisoo created a buzz earlier this year when they dropped their joint single EYES CLOSED. This collaboration marked his first venture into K-pop and Jisoo’s first international partnership. The cross-cultural track set the internet on fire, as the song debuted at No. 72 on the Billboard Hot 100 and united two massive fandoms in celebration.

Now, Zayn has opened up about how the collaboration took shape and the surprising family influence behind his decision.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1, the former One Direction singer revealed that it was Jisoo who launched the collaboration. Zayn shared that she had reached out to him after picking a song he had already worked on. She expressed interest in building upon it, and once she sent over her version, he returned to rework his parts to align with her tone and energy.

Discussing Jisoo's meteoric rise, Zayn Malik said, “She’s obviously killing at the minute. BLACKPINK are all over the place.”

But the collaboration had an unexpectedly personal motivator too in the form of Zayn Malik’s daughter. In a candid admission, he shared just how much her admiration for Jisoo influenced his decision. “My daughter’s a massive fan. So when she asked to do the feature, I was like, yeah. My daughter’s gonna think I’m cool again. So I’ll definitely do that. I’m not out of the game yet,” he said.

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For Zayn, working on EYES CLOSED also marked a meaningful return to mainstream pop. He reflected on the creative journey, saying, “To come back to it with people who are basically owning that genre at the minute was an honour. If I can say thanks to Jisoo for giving me that opportunity, I would like to say that.”

As for Jisoo, EYES CLOSED adds to her streak of musical successes. Alongside BLACKPINK’s continuing Deadline World Tour, she is reportedly gearing up for her second solo album next year.