What Boyzone was in the 90s, is what One Direction is today. Boyzone's singer Ronan Keating understands what kind of pressure One Direction's singer Zayn Malik have felt upon quitting the band and said that Malik will "regret" his decision.
The 38-year-old former Boyzone singer told Irish Independent newspaper in a recent interview that One Direction is a great boyband of today's time and it was a great opportunity for Malik to be a part of it. He was in the same position as Malik was and knows the pressure of becoming a member of a boyband, but Keating insisted that Malik should have remained a part of One Direction.
The "When You Say Nothing At All" singer believes that One Direction is the "biggest boyband" since Take That. He told the newspaper that he, too, felt like quitting Boyzone and ultimately he had to get out. But the Irish singer thinks that Malik should not have left One Direction.
"I think he should have taken a break instead," said the singer, adding that being in One Direction was a "great opportunity" for him. Keating also said that Malik is a "young lad" and will "regret" his decision to quit the great band.
Malik quit One Direction in May saying he wants to lead a life of a "normal 21-year-old." Currently, Malik is busy working on a solo album with Naughty Boy.
Meanwhile, Keating is currently busy working on his new "pop folk" album that has a feel like "Glen Hansard and Damien Rice and Ray LaMontagne, John Mayer," he told Bang Showbiz via Contact Music. For the new album, the singer is working with Greg Alexander, who penned the lyrics for his song "Life is a Rollercoaster." Keating has not decided on the name of the album yet.