Zayn Malik Recalls Saving Harry Styles from 'Really Dangerous' Pyrotechnic Mishap at One Direction Concert

Mar. 15, 2025

Things got too hot at a particularOne Directionshow.

During an episode ofHot Oneson Thursday,Zayn Malikopened up about a time when he saved his former One Direction memberHarry Stylesduring a pyrotechnic incident at one of their concerts.

“There’s actually footage of it, and it’s actually amazing because it makes me look great,” Malik quipped before launching into the story behind the2013 incident— during which the “Watermelon Sugar” singer nearly had a physical run-in with onstage flames.

Zayn Malik; Harry Styles.Marc Piasecki/WireImage; Mike Marsland/WireImage

Marc Piasecki/WireImage; Mike Marsland/WireImage

In the video, the “Love Like This” performer can be seen rushing over to Styles, who’s in the midst of wiping his head with a towel, before moving him away from the flames just in time. Meanwhile, Niall Horan and Liam Payne are focused elsewhere onstage, and only Louis Tomlinson seems to notice the dangerous situation unfolding.

“Harry was right next to a pyro, and the pyro was about to go off because they were on timers. And he had a towel over his head, and he had his head over the pyro, and he didn’t see that the pyro was there. So, you see me run from one side of the stage and just push him out of the way, and the pyro kind of like explodes in front of his face,” Malik recalled. “That was really dangerous.”

He also opened up about more “technological difficulties” the band endured over the years.

“The whole rig would just go off sometimes in our early gigs. We would have a power outage, and there was no microphones, so we would just put our microphones down, and we would just burst into the ‘Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’ a cappella and just do the whole performance of that until the microphones were working again,” Malik said with a laugh. “I hope it entertained people. Funny times.”

Louis Tomlinson, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Liam Payne and Zayn Malik of One Direction at HMV Hammersmith Apollo on Jan. 10, 2012.Christie Goodwin/Redferns

Christie Goodwin/Redferns

The British singer recently announced his fourth studio albumRoom Under the Stairs, out May 17 via Mercury Records. He will introduce fans to the album with its first single “What I Am,” which is set to drop on Friday.

Last week, Malik teased the project with ashort video on Instagram. “I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to get more insight on me personally as a human being,” he said in the clip.

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Zayn Malik at Kenzo Men’s Fall 2024 as part of Paris Men’s Fashion Week on Jan. 19, 2024 in Paris, France.Swan Gallet/WWD/Getty

Swan Gallet/WWD/Getty

“My ambitions, my fears… and for them to have a connection with that," he continued. “And that’s why it’s so raw, you know?”

Malik concluded: “There’s just me writing this. I didn’t want anyone else to be in between me and the music, and the music and the people listening to it.”

At the end of the clip, he crooned in what appeared to be a new song snippet, “If I told you I loved you, would you say that it’s f—ed up?”

source: people.com