On his career as a solo artist: "I was very much finding out what my sound was as a solo artist. I can see all the places where it almost felt like I was bowling with the bumpers up. I think with the second album I let go of the fear of getting it wrong and . . . it was really joyous and really free. I think with music it's so important to evolve — and that extends to clothes and videos and all that stuff. That's why you look back at David Bowie with Ziggy Stardust or the Beatles and their different eras — that fearlessness is super inspiring."
On being in One Direction: "I think the typical thing is to come out of a band like that and almost feel like you have to apologise for being in it, but I loved my time in it. It was all new to me, and I was trying to learn as much as I could. I wanted to soak it in . . . I think that's probably why I like travelling now — soaking stuff up."