Former One Direction singer signs solo deal with RCA

NEW YORK , July 30 (UPI) -- Former One Direction signer Zayn Malik announced Wednesday that he signed a solo recording contract with RCA Records.

Simon Cowell, the current chief of Zyco Music, said the deal between RCA and Malik will afford the singer a perfect working partner for his solo career. He tweeted about the deal, saying he and Malik were "working on this for a while" and that he is pleased at RCA's offer.

The news comes after after Malik announced his departure from the band on March 25, and after previous allusions to a solo album release in 2016. When Malik tweeted about his deal, he said he "never explained" why he left. However, in his March announcement Malik said he wanted "to be a normal 22-year-old" with a private life and the opportunity to relax. He claimed that his ex-bandmates would be his friends for life and that One Direction would continue to be the best band in the world.

Since his departure, rumors about Malik's solo career plans were rampant, with a leaked solo demo hitting the web not long after the announcement and rumors circulated about Malik being contractually banned from playing solo music.

The label did not announce when it expects to publish content by Malik. Malik also did not disclose what he is working on.