"He changed the keys so much" - Internet reacts as Zayn Malik posts 'What Makes You Beautiful' rendition on One Direction's IG Story

On February 20, former One Direction member Zayn Malik posted a surprise new rendition of their popular song, What Makes You Beautiful, on his Instagram Story, sending his fans into a frenzy. Amid reunion rumors, The Tribune reported on February 21 that his post has fueled hopes for a One Direction comeback.

Since leaving the group in 2015, Malik has seldom ever mentioned his One Direction history. Nevertheless, his choice to record and upload himself singing a 1D song surprised the fans. However, the reunion is just a speculation and Malik, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson have not released an official statement about the same.

Now, once the IG story went viral and was uploaded on X by Pop Base on February 21, it garnered netizens’ mixed reactions. Some were extremely happy and satisfied with the new rendition of the song, while others were mildly disappointed. One even claimed that he allegedly changed the key of the song so much that it's hard to recognize.

“He changed the keys so much I didn't even realize it was what makes you beautiful,” wrote one x user.

Others also reacted the same way, expressing that they didn’t actually like this version. One jokingly said that he can “un-sung” it while another one said that they didn’t even realise it was What Makes You Beautiful.

“He can un-sing it,” one wrote, sarcastically.

“Jesus that hurt my ears….,” wrote one user.

“I didn't realize he was singing what makes you beautiful,” said another user.

On the other hand, other 1D fans expressed their enthusiasm over the whole thing. One wrote that they were obsessed with him while another one said that this version of the popular song was really beautiful.

“He could sing the alphabet and I’d still be obsessed,” one wrote.

“Oh God, this version is beautiful. I’ve never heard What Makes You Beautiful sung like this before,” claimed another fan.

“Him and Harry have always been THE vocalists of that band,” said another user.

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Zayn Malik teased fans about a possible One Direction reunion many times

Zayn Malik recently teased his fans with a special song on his Instagram (Image via Getty Images)

Zayn Malik's IG post came a month after he teased his fans about a possible reunion of the band while performing live as part of his Stairway to the Sky tour on January 21.

Social media users who were at the performance posted videos of Zayn asking the audience if they enjoyed the song he was singing. He then asked:

“Did you like that one? Maybe I’ll mix it up at some point, maybe a 1D song in there or something.”

The Pillowtalk singer then added:

“Don’t get excited, not tonight! Sorry, I didn’t mean to tease you like [that] it’s not tonight.”

Additionally, Louis Tomlinson, another 1D member, unexpectedly showed up at Zayn Malik's concert in Los Angeles on January 29, giving the fans something to talk about.

However, in spite of Zayn Malik hinting at a possible reunion, other One Direction members haven’t said anything about it as of yet. In fact, on February 12, as per Tribune, the group turned down a chance to reunite at the Brit Awards 2025 in honor of their late bandmate Liam Payne.

It further reported that a source told The Sun on the same day that after being asked to sing a tribute, Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik declined the offer. The team's representative also informed the outlet:

“It has been a really emotional time for the lads, and it was decided it would just be too much. They have grieved in private and don’t feel the need to do a big, showy tribute for the sake of it.”

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Fans await for more updates.