Zayn Malik loses 50,000 Twitter followers following release of solo demo

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Former One Direction singer Zayn Malik is seeing a social media backlash after his first solo demo appeared online.

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The band, comprised up of (l. to r.) Niall Horan, Liam Payne, Zayn Malik, Louis Tomlinson and Harry Styles, started to record their debut album in Jan. of 2011 as they flew to Los Angeles to work with RedOne, a record producer. Recording also took place in Stockholm and London with various producers.

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On Nov. 25, 2013, One Direction released their third studio album, "Midnight Memories." Without a doubt, the album debuted yet again at number one in both the U.K. and the U.S. In 2013, the group was named Top Global artists by the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) due to strong digital downloads, physical albums, on-demand streams and music videos.

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After making history with the their debut album "Up All Night," One Direction went on to start their first tour, the "Up All Night Tour." The tour began in the U.K. and moved on to Australia and North America later. The band also released both a CD and DVD based on the tour that also topped charts selling millions of copies.

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With only one album under their belt, the infamous boy band was already an international sensation, especially for teenage girls. A One Direction promotional store was opened in Sydney, Australia on April 7, 2012 as hundreds of fans came pouring in to buy everything from photos to calendars. Girls were seen sobbing inside and outside of the store so excited to buy merchandise that they could not contain their emotions.

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The awards continue! Here, One Direction accepts the award for "song of the summer" for the hit song "Best Song Ever" at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 25, 2013. The group has been nominated and received all four awards for the MTV Video Music Awards.

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After a 5-year run with the hit boy band One Direction, member Zayn Malik announced on March 25, 2015 that he is officially quitting the band. The singer made his announcement on the group's Facebook page saying "My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined, but after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band," Malik said in a statement. Fans from around the globe have taken to social media to express their feelings of grief about Zayn's decision. In the wake of a new direction for One Direction, take a look back at the journey the band has been on.

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By the end of 2012, One Direction was everywhere from the radio to the toy store. Here, the band poses with versions of themselves as Hasbro dolls during a press event on Nov. 26, 2012.

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By Nov. of 2012, One Direction was back in the U.S. performing yet again on NBC's "Today" show. Around the same time, the group also performed a song at the Royal Variety Performance in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II.

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Recently, rumors have surfaced that Zayn was reportedly doing drugs after he appeared to look extra skinny in paparazzi photos. His reason for leaving the band was related to stress and wanting to be a "normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight." Malik also became engaged to his fiance Perrie Edwards (r.) and rumors have also surfaced that he is taking time to focus on his relationship with her as they get married.

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In Sept. of 2011, One Direction released their debut single "What Makes You Beautiful" that immediately rose to number one on the UK Singles Chart as well as becoming the most pre-ordered Sony Music Entertainment single in history. By Nov. of 2011, their debut studio album under Syco Records was released in Ireland and the United Kingdom, followed by a worldwide release during 2012. The album topped charts in 16 countries and sold 4.5 million copies by Dec. of 2012. Here, One Direction makes their first U.S. television appearance on the "Today Show" as 15,000 fans attended.

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Back in 2010, One Direction made their debut on the British version of "The X Factor." Initially, each boy auditioned on the show as soloists but failed to progress to the "boys" category. While in the boot camp stage of the competition, the boys were put together to form a band and thus qualified for the "groups" category. Although the band placed third in the competition, their debut song eventually leaked on the internet and they immediately rose in popularity. Simon Cowell claims to have come up with the idea to form the band and would later help them become an international phenomenon.

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Here, One Direction accepts yet another award for Artist of the Year during the 42nd Annual American Music Awards on Nov. 23, 2014.

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Out of the total 303 nominations the group has received in the short amount of time they have been around, One Direction has taken home 180 awards from award shows across the globe. Here, the group poses for photos at the 2013 BRIT Awards, where they took home BRIT's Global Success Award.

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By early 2013, the group was unstoppable. Here, One Direction poses with their wax figure doubles at Madame Tussauds in London, England on April 16, 2013. The wax doubles went on a "world tour" to the other two Madame Tussauds locations in New York and Sydney through 2013.

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Also in 2011, the boy band and other contestants from the series participated in the "X Factor Live Tour" for more than 500,000 people throughout the U.K. A book about their journey through "The X Factor" was also published in 2011 called "One Direction: Forever Young (Our Official X Factor Story)" and topped the Sunday Times Best Seller list.

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Shortly after their song "Forever Young" leaked on the internet, Simon Cowell signed the band to his British record label, Syco Records. Before the group even started to record their first album, they were already a huge hit in England making appearances like this one at the world premiere of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader" on Nov. 20, 2010.

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One Direction fans have proved themselves to be the most dedicated and emotional fans any boy band has seen in a while. Thousands of loyal fans attend all of the groups events from concerts to meet and greets. Here, thousands of young female fans stand outside of a morning television program in Sydney to hopefully catch a glimpse of them.

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By Aug. of 2012, the group's recording sales exceeded 8 million singles, 3 million albums and 1 million DVD's and they were already estimated to be worth a $50 million business. During the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards, the group won all three of their nominations including Best New Artist.

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In Aug. of 2013, One Direction released "One Direction: This Is Us," a 3D documentary and concert film about the group. The movie also featured the newest single from what would be their third studio album making it a must-have for diehard fans. The film was a box office success topping both box offices in the U.S. and U.K. with $60 million in sales. Here, the group attends the World Premiere of their movie in London, England on Aug. 20, 2013.

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On March 25, 2015, member Zayn Malik announced publically that he would be leaving the band One Direction. The news follows the parting of tour manager Paul Higgins that has been with the group since their formation back in 2010.

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On Nov. 17, 2014, One Direction released their fourth studio album, "Four." The group released two singles from the album before the official release date as well as a music video. Here, the group attends The Royal Variety Performance in London, England on Nov. 13, 2014.

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By Nov. of 2012, the group released their second studio album "Take Me Home" that also became an international success. The album's lead single "Live While We're Young" reached the top ten in almost every country it charted in. The song also recorded the highest one-week opening sales figure for a song by a non-U.S. artist in the U.S. After the album was released, One Direction broke history to become the youngest act in British chart history to have an album debut at number one.