Taylor Complimented Zayn & He Reacted Accordingly

You can be a crazy successful artist in your own right, but kind words from Queen Taylor Swift are still worth their weight in gold. Case in point: In a new interview with Dazed, Zayn Malik revealed that Swift once complimented him and he died a little inside. As you do.

The two met, of course, at Gigi Hadid's house. The singers "briefly spoke," Malik said; T. Swift delivered her wordsmith-style magic, he blushed at the sentiment, and the scene of many future fanfics was set, instantly.

"I don't get much feedback from my peers," Malik said, explaining that he usually chooses to stick to his inner circle. "I spoke a bit to Taylor. At Gigi’s house we briefly spoke and she told me she really enjoyed the album. It was nice to get some feedback," the former One Direction singer told the magazine (he's on the cover this month). "She said she thought I was cool and I kind of blushed a bit and didn’t know how to take it."

Of course, he took the compliment from Swift like any fangirl would — with a thrill, a little bit of disbelief, and some freshly reddened cheeks.

And while it would be easy to let the flattery and success get to his head, Malik explained that he purposely stays as down-to-earth as possible in order to "keep [his] sanity."

"I haven’t done much acclimatin'. I’m just staying the way that I am. I think that’s the best way to keep your sanity," he revealed. "You’ve got to hold on to what you are and not let things get to your head, because if you do, that’s when everything comes crashing down terribly."

The "Pillowtalk" singer recently received praise for candidly revealing his struggle with anxiety, explaining that he backed out of a planned headlining performance at the Capital Summertime Ball due to "the worst anxiety of my career."

The heartfelt and honest explanation is proof that anxiety does not discriminate. And despite — or, perhaps, because of — Malik's incredible success and lauded career, he still fights anxiety, just like millions of others all over the world. It's more than just staying humble: It's about not psyching yourself out and just taking things as they come, one at a time. Including compliments from Taylor Swift.