New father Zayn Malik reflects on an old love in latest single Better

New father Zayn Malik has reflected on an old love in his laidback latest single Better.

The former One Direction singer welcomed a daughter with US model Gigi Hadid on the weekend, announcing the news via social media.

And he has now returned with smooth R&B track Better, his first solo single since 2018 from the album Icarus Falls.

In the accompanying music video, a topless Malik shows off his heavily tattooed torso while singing about giving an on-off love another chance.

Better will feature on the singer’s as-yet-untitled third album. It caps an eventful week for Malik.

He announced the birth of his daughter with a post on Instagram, sharing a black-and-white picture of the baby’s tiny hand clutching his tattooed finger.

“Our baby girl is here, healthy and beautiful,” the 27-year-old wrote in the caption.

“To try put into words how i am feeling right now would be an impossible task. The love I feel for this tiny human is beyond my understanding.

“Grateful to know her, proud to call her mine, and thankful for the life we will have together x.”

In a separate post to her more than 58 million Instagram followers, Hadid said she is “so in love” with the new arrival.

Bradford-born Malik and Los Angeles-born Hadid, 25, have been dating on and off since late 2015.