In a new interview with Glamour U.K., the 27-year-old singer looked back at when the group first formed and shared the advice he'd give his younger self. "I think just have more fun and relax a little bit," he replied. "To enter One Direction was that difficult, because it just meant that I got completely a different job to everybody else." Payne and his bandmates were just teenagers when they were catapulted into fame in 2010. And growing up in the public eye wasn't exactly easy. "I think we all go through that awkward teen phase where you're finding yourself," he explained. "It was kind of out there for everyone to see; the awful haircuts and we're talking terrible clothes, it was all out there." Over the years, One Direction released a number of popular hits, including What Makes You Beautiful, Steal My Girl and Story of My Life. But in 2015 Malik announced his decision to leave the band, and Payne, Styles, Tomlinson and Horan began the group's hiatus later that year.