Zayn Malik ‘blushed’ when complimented by Taylor Swift

Zayn Malik "blushed" when Taylor Swift told him he was cool.

The ‘LIKE I WOULD’ hitmaker – who is dating the ‘Shake It Off’ singer’s close pal Gigi Hadid – was shocked when the 26-year-old singer praised him for his debut solo album.

He said: "I don’t get much feedback from my peers. I spoke a bit to Taylor. At Gigi’s house we briefly spoke and she told me she really enjoyed the album. It was nice to get some feedback. She said she thought I was cool and I kind of blushed a bit and didn’t know how to take it …

"I don’t tend to go out much. I stick to my own bubble, as it is. Creatively and socially, I think, as I’m getting older, that’s just the way I am."

And the 23-year-old singer – who shocked fans when he quit One Direction in March 2015 – is just trying to stay grounded as he doesn’t want things to "come crashing down terribly".

He added to the summer issue of Dazed magazine: "I haven’t done much acclimating. I’m just staying the way that I am. I think that’s the best way to keep your sanity.

"You’ve got to hold on to what you are and not let things get to your head, because if you do, that’s when everything comes crashing down terribly."

Meanwhile, Zayn previously admitted he "understands" the pressures of fame.

He shared: "I’ve kept a little bit of my sanity. I understand how the media works. Journos gotta earn their money. Paps have got to earn their money. I think [I discovered it early in my career]. I think that’s why it came across as being mysterious or detached. I just didn’t want to get caught up in something that wasn’t real.

"You can be the biggest band in the world for a certain time, but that ends. I’m not saying that [I knew at the beginning]. But if I did … then f**k me, I’ve got a great brain."