"Pillowtalk," Zayn Malik's debut single as a solo artist, was more than an artistic awakening — he claims it was also a sexual liberation of sorts, too.

Malik, who left One Direction in March 2015, has since come out swinging against the group, claiming the experience was artistically stifling and that his former bandmates were disloyal. And today (October 13), NME has published the latest bit of pop-star stone-throwing in the form of an excerpt from forthcoming autobiography Zayn, in which Malik basically says 1D were obligated to be a bunch of prudes.

"Every lyric I’ve ever written has a story behind it," he wrote. "All the hard work that went into the creation of ‘Pillowtalk’ was worthwhile because, as soon as it was finished, I intuitively felt I was on the right path. It was a sick cut, nailing the exact sound I wanted to capture in my music. I was also able to sing about a subject that I hadn’t really been able to go near while I was in One Direction: sex."

So "No Control" (lyrics: "Waking up / Beside you I'm my loaded gun / I can't contain this anymore") wasn't about sex? "Temporary Fix" (lyrics: "You can call me / When you're lonely / When you can't sleep / I'll be your temporary fix") doesn't chronicle a booty call? Hmm...

And if you think that's a juicy admission, you can expect more — Malik added that he's not holding back in the book, which hits bookstores on November 1.

"I’m going to show you as much as I can so that you can judge me on my own terms, not on what the press or anyone else says," he told NME.

What do you think about Zayn's revelation? Do you believe him, and will you pick up Zayn? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Listen to a Collection of Zayn Malik's Very Best Live Vocals:

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