One Direction as they were

Zayn Malik delivered a shocker to his fans when he announced he was quitting the chart-topping band One Direction.

The British singer announced on Wednesday he was quitting the band “to be a normal 22-year-old.” His bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson and Liam Payne — currently in the middle of their On The Road Again world tour — offered their best wishes, but said they’d continue as a quartet.

One Direction formed in 2010 after five teenagers — Styles, Payne, Horan, Tomlinson and Malik — auditioned individually for the British TV talent show The X Factor. The quintet soon became one of the world’s top pop acts with multiplatinum records, sold-out tours and even a hit movie. In the wake of Malik’s departure, here’s a look at One Direction’s best moments in pictures.