Zayn Malik just launched a gorgeous new Tumblr

Remember when it wasn’t official until it was “Facebook official?” That was so five years ago — actually, around the same time five strapping young lads were united on the British TV music competition The X Factor to form One Direction.

Fast forward to now…and all that has changed. Zayn Malik, the wannabe recluse and disarming defector of 1D has been making a lot of things official as of late: his departure from the band, his breakup from Little Mix’s Perrie Edwards, his high profile new relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid, and a few sexy new singles along the way. But his brand new Tumblr is the final keystone in cementing Malik’s new direction. Officially.

Welcome to zayn.tumblr.com, which launched Tuesday with surprisingly little fanfare. (Malik posted a tweet directing fans to the URL.) Currently, the greyscale site functions as a press kit of sorts, touting Malik’s recent profiles, photo shoots, and videos. Fans can scroll endlessly through the best of ZAYN, with opportunities to reblog hi-res images, GIFs, and Vimeo players of the singer’s latest works displayed under an ever-present interstitial of his moniker (encouragement to subscribe to his newsletter is also provided).

We asked Nate Auerbauch, Tumblr’s Head of Music, what Zayn’s official Tumblr means for the platform’s voracious community, and what we can expect from the artist as he continues to share in this space. “Zayn’s presence on Tumblr is already so visual and emotional,” Auerbauch explains. “He has already taken to the limitless possibilities for expression, with photosets and GIFs. I can’t wait to see where he goes with it as he releases more music.”

While we continue to wait for Malik’s next music video off his 2016 solo album, Mind of Mine, we have to ask: why Tumblr, why now? Auerbach notes, “As a frequent visitor in our Fandometrics charts, Zayn knows how strong his community is on Tumblr, with fans coming together from all over the world. This makes it an integral part of his digital and social ecosystem.”

Yes, the reportedly fame-shy yet increasingly everywhere boy band breakout star is carefully cultivating his new image, one social media statement at a time — Malik’s official Tumblr is just the latest strategic stride in the right direction.http://zayn.tumblr.com/post/147270475130http://zayn.tumblr.com/post/145187567455http://zayn.tumblr.com/post/145187556570http://zayn.tumblr.com/post/145187493830http://zayn.tumblr.com/post/145186613960http://zayn.tumblr.com/post/145187713395