Boyz II Men's Wanya Morris: Zayn Malik will go solo

There has been speculation that the 22-year-old singer is intending to strike out on his own, after he left the chart-topping boyband in March, saying he wants to be “a normal 22-year-old”.

“I think, in all actuality, him being a normal 22-year-old… People will realise that is just a ploy for him to do what he always wanted to do and that’s to be a solo artist,” Wanya said.

“As an artist, you understand when you have to handle things diplomatically. You don’t want to offend the people who have supported you all of these years, and you want them to feel like you’re connected to them.”

The 41-year-old singer continued: “When I heard that, I was like, ‘I see it from the publicist’s point of view’. If he says he’s always wanted to be a solo artist, fans are going to think he is selfish. (They will think) ‘We have supported you in this group for so long and now you are going to leave?’

“So you have to make it personal. He might not do a solo album in a year or so, but he’s gradually going to bring people into his realm and he’s going to be a great artist.”

Wanya, who has been a part of Boyz II Men alongside Nathan Morris and Shawn Stockman for 23 years, said the behind-the-scenes situation with Zayn’s One Direction bandmates may also have led to his decision. The group were put together on The X Factor in 2010, after they initially auditioned as solo candidates.

He continued: “I can understand the sentiment (behind Zayn’s decision). They weren’t friends from the beginning – they were put together and you don’t share anything with people that you don’t know.

“He might want to be a normal 22-year-old but he can only share that with his friends. As a young person who has made a lot of money, he’s with people he doesn’t really know but he’s created a life with them.”

Producer Naughty Boy fuelled rumours of Zayn’s future career when he tweeted a SoundCloud link to a track they had worked on together.

Wanya said there was never any chance that long-time friends Boyz II Men would split up, even after bass singer Michael McCary left due to health issues.

The group, whose hits include End Of The Road, Mama and On Bended Knee, are touring around the UK, having performed in Newcastle and Hull. They will play Manchester on May 9, Bristol on May 10, Birmingham on May 12 and London on May 13.

“We’ve had opportunities at some point to go solo but we realised there’s nothing greater than Boyz II Men as a group. The music that we sang put us together, so we actually came together organically,” he explained.

“We blended and meshed so well that there is nothing we could do. It was magical enough that we have lasted 23 years. We respect one another, we understand each other and we understand how much of a family we are.”