Leading a normal life, for all the world to see, started with a new buzz cut and a new attitude for ex-One Direction boy band member Zayn Malik.

Dressed in a navy suit, black tie and a simple white shirt, complimented with a pair of suede black boots, Malik accompanied by his mother, Trisha, made his first public appearance (including a new nose ring) Friday night at the Fifth Annual Asian Awards at London’s Grosvenor hotel.

The 22-year-old has been hitting the headlines for the past month after announcing his departure on March 25 from a group that became the first band in the U.S. Billboard 200 history to have their first four albums debut at number one.

And while Malik was quoted that he was left the group after five years to be a “normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight,” his current actions have proven to be otherwise.

In March 2015, Malik was spotted at a London recording studio with producer Naughty Boy, leading to the speculation of the pair working on music together. Naughty Boy, his possible future collaborator, was also in attendance at the Asian Awards.

Also, Malik alluded to the potential of a solo career, with the release of his first solo studio album to be released under the Syco label in 2016. On March 31, Naughty Boy released an early demo of the song “I Won’t Mind,” which featured Malik on SoundCloud – and was quickly removed from SoundCloud by Naughty Boy.

“It’s important fans know this isn’t a solo Zayn song or even representative of material he might record in the future,’’ a source told the Daily Mail.  “If you listen to the track it is clearly a song written with One Direction in mind for their last album. It’s not new, nor is it a Zayn Malik solo track.”