Zayn Malik Talks Gigi Hadid, One Direction, & More For New 'Paper' Magazine Cover

Zayn Malik is smoldering and surrounded by smoke on the brand new #Sexy summer issue of Paper magazine, on newsstands June 21.

Here’s what the 23-year-old “Pillowtalk” performer had to share with the mag:

On not being allowed to have a beard in One Direction: “Facial hair was a weird thing. I think it’s ’cause I just looked old. And they didn’t like that. [And] I always wanted a beard! I think every dude does when they’re young. Seeing Al Pacino in Carlito’s Way — I needed the goatee after that. I was like, ‘I wanna be Al Pacino.’ I’ve always been obsessed with that, and I had to shave it off. I used to get a bit sad.”

On Gigi Hadid: “I’ve always said it and I still stand by it: I find intelligence attractive. When I learn something from somebody and they teach me something, that’s an attractive thing for me. Obviously, I find physical appearance attractive as well, but it’s definitely squared more towards a personality as I’ve gotten older, because you can’t have a long-term relationship unless you get on with the person. It doesn’t matter really about the exterior.”

On his social life: “I don’t really enjoy going out too much and partying. I like to have my own time and be at home, and I kind of need a partner with me to do that. I just like the security of that. It feels good to me. It feels right. We’ll see each other tonight and probably watch a film. Netflix and chill. Yeah, we do that a lot.”

For more on Zayn, visit PaperMag.com.

FYI: Zayn is wearing an Enfants Riches Déprimés jacket on the cover.