Zayn Malik Takes His Oral Health Very Seriously (and Other Reasons We Swoon)

Ah, Zayn Malik, the One Direction boy who got away. He’s still a singer and a sensation in his own right, of course, and he certainly holds a place in our hearts. But how much do we really know about the sexy pop star? Here are 7 facts you might not have known about him, paired with some of our favorite sexy Zayn Malik photos:

Did you know these facts about Zayn Malik? Have you seen these sexy Zayn Malik photos?

1. Zayn Malik’s birth name is a bit different than his stage name.

Born Zain Javaad Malik on Jan. 12, 1993, the 27-year-old was born in East Bowling, England, with a birth name spelled slightly differently than his stage name. The singer chose to change the “i” for a “y” in order to make his name, well, look cooler. Zain means “beautiful” in Arabic, which seems fitting, while his last name, Malik, means “king” in the same language. Is anyone really surprised that sexy Zayn Malik’s name means “beautiful king”??

2. Zayn Malik was a problem child.

Being the only boy in his family, living with three sisters, Zayn reportedly felt the need to act up in order to get attention. This meant he was quite the handful as a child. As he once said in 2011, “I was a bit of a handful when I was a kid because I was quite hyperactive. Even in the house my mum used to put me in my pram [that’s British for stroller] because I was so full-on.”

3. Zayn Malik is not a fan of dress codes.

Malik also got into trouble at school. Though, that was because of … his hair? The future singer loved having long hair, and he was expelled from his first two schools because his hair was too long to fit school dress codes.

4. He takes his oral health very seriously.

If asked, most musical artists will tell you they have some sort of pre-show ritual. For some it entails eating a certain food before the concert starts, or maybe a meditative exercise. Zayn Malik’s pre-show ritual? Brushing his teeth. Zayn loves to ensure his oral hygiene is on point before walking onstage. Maybe that’s why he shows off those pearly whites in our fave sexy Zayn Malik photos.

5. Zayn Malik is afraid of … a lot of things.

Not only is Zayn afraid of heights — he had never flown before becoming a member of One Direction — but he’s also afraid of … water? Zayn has shared that he suffers from aquaphobia (anxiety from bodies of water), so let’s just say he’s not a fan of flying over oceans.

6. Zayn Malik loves kissing.

Back when he was in 1D, Harry Styles shared that Zayn was the band member who had kissed the most fans. That’s certainly an upgrade from his first kiss, about which he has said he had to stand on a brick to reach the poor girl. Zayn also says he went on to date that girl’s two sisters. (They were triplets.) Of course, now there’s only one girl he’ll be kissing, and that’s his fiancée Gigi Hadid, who’s also now the mother of their young daughter.

7. He’s A Visual Artist

Not only can Zayn sing, but he can draw as well and loves to do so in his spare time. Where can you see some of his artwork? Just check out those sexy Zayn Malik photos, especially the shirtless ones. Many of Zayn’s tattoos he designed himself, including the crown tattoo on his chest, signifying his surname.

Now, which of these sexy Zayn Malik photos have you already made your phone’s wallpaper?!

This article was originally published on October 30, 2020. It has since been updated.