Zayn Malik’s debut single has entered the Billboard Hot 100 at No 1 — trumping One Direction’s highest ever chart entry.
The former boyband member’s track Pillowtalk entered the top of the charts on Monday, making it the singer’s first US No 1. Despite One Direction’s popularity on both sides of the Atlantic, the group have yet to top the Hot 100, peaking with Best Song Ever at No 2 in 2013.
Pillowtalk, released on 29 January on RCA Records, is also the 25th song ever to debut at No 1 in the Hot 100, joining the likes of Adele’s Hello and Elton John’s Candle in the Wind. Including its position at No 1 in the UK and US, it has topped charts in over 60 countries on the iTunes chart since its release.
Malik fought off competition from Drake, who debuts at No 6 with Summer Sixteen, as well as Justin Bieber’s two tracks Love Yourself and Sorry, which drop to No 2 and No 3 respectively. Twenty One Pilots’ Stressed Out slides to No 4 on the Hot 100.
Malik’s debut album Mind of Mine is due for release on 25 March, exactly one year after the Bradford pop star announced his departure from One Direction.
