How are students at the University of Kent coping with Zayn Malik’s shock decision to leave One Direction? Max Beckett finds out.

The biggest shock in entertainment recently is by far the news that Zayn Malik, one fifth of sensationally popular boyband One Direction, has decided to leave on the grounds of “wanting to be a normal twenty-two-year-old”. The news rocked the entertainment industry, the Twitter accounts of disheartened teenagers and, apparently, students at the University of Kent.

The responses ranged from sadness to apathy to ridicule, with some genuinely upset students listing their anguishes about the situation and others merely using the opportunity to sarcastically express their ‘woes’.

First-year student Manreeve sang Zayn’s praises, calling him “probably the best thing to come out of the Midlands in the last hundred years”. Linguistics and Literature student Sophie used the word “distraught” to describe her reaction, as did third-year Matt, who also stated that he “can’t sleep at night” because he has “lost (his) soul”.

Aside from the subtle mockery, however, there was sincerity within some of the statements I took.

One student who took the news very badly is my flatmate Ollie, who said, “It was very unexpected. It’s left me and other fans confused about his reason for leaving the band. I am one of a small portion that wants a replacement, because at the moment 1D are struggling singing songs written for five people with only four voices. Not to mention nobody (in the band) can hit a high note like Zayn could.”

I can vouch for his reaction because I haven’t stopped hearing One Direction playing in the kitchen for a whole week. His girlfriend, Livvy, doesn’t have high hopes for the band’s future: “I believe they have reached their height of fame, meaning they can only go downhill from here.”

There are, of course, a good few students who have no feelings towards the situation whatsoever.

“Is ‘I don’t care’ good enough?” asks flatmate Ruby, as if to suggest that this devastating news has not affected her in the slightest. Accounting and Finance undergraduate Neeraj expresses a similarly apathetic approach, choosing to direct our attention towards the bands of the nineties and noughties whose split had left him reeling: “These little kids don’t know the pain some of us have been through. Busted, Spice Girls, Blue, McFly, flippin’ Atomic Kitten AND S-Club 7 (back when they were great)”.

It is very easy to categorise UKC student’s responses into three sets, but why should we really care? Why is this topic deserving of an article? Well… “It is, in many ways, a representation of the state of the current mainstream music market in that even the most talented and beautiful Bradfordian singers can succumb to stress and break the hearts of the thousands of 12 year olds… and my own.”

I think Linguistics student Jay explains it pretty well.