Zayn Malik makes a surprise appearance on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show to promote his new single and upcoming album

Zayn Malik made a surprise appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon’s on Wednesday as he promoted his new single and upcoming album.

The former One Direction star, 31, has been teasing fans over the past week and has now officially announced his first new music in three years, Room Under The Stairs.

During the Jimmy’s opening words, Zayn walked across the set and silently placed a note and a mug of coffee in the host’s hand.

He then hit play on a laptop, teasing a snippet of his new track What I Am, before waving at the audience and walking away.

The note read: ‘Jimmy, look to your right for my album. My new single What I Am is out this Friday off my upcoming album Room Under The Stairs, available May 17. Hope you’ll check it out.’

‘I will. Zayn everybody!’ Jimmy announced.

The singer has already revealed the first single, titled ‘What I Am,’ is set to be released this Friday on March 15.

Zayn officially announced his brand new album called Room Under The Stairs on Wednesday.

He penned in his Instagram announcement: ‘ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS 17.05.2024 PRE-ORDER FRIDAY’, along with a series of quirky illustrations.

One fan penned underneath: ‘Can’t wait for the release gonna be so good!’

A second wrote: ‘Album of the year and I haven’t even heard it yet!’, while a third said: ‘YESSSSSSSSS ZAYNNNNNN!!!’

Last week Zayn wiped his Instagram page and posted a single Reel – as he prepared his fans for his self-penned fourth studio album.

He shared a selection of visuals in the video, as well as music and a voiceover, but wrote no caption with it.

He said in the teaser: ‘I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to get more insight on me personally as a human being – my ambitions, my fears – and for them to have a connection with that.

‘And that’s why it’s so raw, you know, it’s just me writing this. I didn’t want anyone else to be in between me and the music, and the music and the people listening to it.’

A short snippet of What I Am was played at the end. It had the lyrics: ‘If I told you I loved you, would you say that it’s f***** up?’

Zayn worked with nine-time Grammy Award-winning country music producer Dave Cobb on the upcoming album.

The producer, 49, told Rolling Stone in February: ‘What got me about Zayn was his voice, you can hear love, loss, pain, triumph and humanity in it.

‘I feel as if this record is removing the glass from his spirit directly to his fans.

‘Zayn has really created his own universe on this record, he really has no fear and is speaking straight from his soul.’

Dave is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and is best known for producing the work of Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile.

Zayn previously promised his fans that his new material would sound different to his previous releases.

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, he explained: ‘I’ve got a few really sad [songs]. It’s a different sound for me, and it’s got like some more narrative going on – real-life experiences and stuff.’

He also spoke to Rolling Stone, saying: ‘I’m doing a record I don’t think people are really going to expect. It’s a different sound for me.

And it’s got some more narrative going on, like real-life experiences and stuff. My daughter’s mentioned in there a couple of times.’

Zayn’s daughter is Khai, three, whom he shares 50/50 custody of with ex-girlfriend Gigi Hadid, 28.

The couple dated from 2016 to 2021, breaking up after Zayn allegedly assaulted Gigi’s mother Yolanda. 

In the time in between his last single and now, Zayn served as the executive music producer for the animated film, 10 Lives.

Under his Instagram teaser, fan account InZayn, one of only 14 accounts Zayn follows, commented ‘The Zrought is over’ while a fan offered: ‘If you want another dog I can bark.’

Zayn last released English-language music in July 2023, when his pop effort Love Like This reached just 36 on the charts.

It was his first single under his new management United Talent Agency after he was dropped from RCA in 2021.