Zayn Malik's Solo Track Actually An Old 1D Song?

It's been choppy waters for One Direction fans this March: First, the previously five members of the English pop band dwindled down to four, a result of founding member Zayn Malik's decision to leave One Direction to be a "normal 22-year-old." Less than a week later, plans for Malik's solo career were revealed. A very short time after that, producer and English DJ Naughty Boy tweeted what appeared to be a demo for Zayn Malik's first solo song, "I Won't Mind." Now, however, there's a new twist in the saga: There are claims, according to the Daily Mail, that the song is not in fact a solo Malik song and the first revelation of what his solo sound will be — in fact, it could be reportedly a remnant of his boy band past: a One Direction demo song meant for their last album, Four.

This info comes from The Daily Mail, and, as with all One Direction rumors floating around recently, should be regarded with a healthy amount of skepticism — but here's what one individual described as an "insider" had to say about the track. Again, take this with a grain of salt, as it is definitely not confirmed by any official source:

It's important fans know this isn't a solo Zayn song or even representative of material he might record in the future. If you listen to the track it is clearly a song written with One Direction in mind for their last album. It's not new, nor is it a Zayn Malik solo track.

That Naughty Boy deleted the track swiftly after posting it could be considered evidence of this claim, or just a response to the immediate backlash the leak earned from fans — or it could be both. In any case, it's another interesting turn in what's turned into a straight-up feud between One Direction (and One Direction's passionate fan base) and Malik's new producer partner Naughty Boy.

The leak, for example, came directly after Louis Tomlinson's accusation that Naughty Boy was trying to capitalize on/stir up One Direction's fanbase in a manner insensitive to the situation of Malik leaving the band — especially given that Malik's departure was accompanied by claims of stress and a desire for more normalcy in his life.

Only those close to Malik and the band actually know the truth of what's happening with Malik and One Direction; all the rest of us have is theories, most of which are based off of past boy band examples. What's more obvious is what we don't know: What Zayn Malik is thinking right now, how the band truly feels about his departure, what Malik's solo career will actually look like when/if it happens, and what the future of One Direction and its members will look like in a world where their allegiances are splintered and their fandom desperately seeking answers.