On Wednesday, the 22-year-old singer announced he was quitting One Direction for good, saying he wanted "to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight", but was spotted heading into a recording studio on Thursday, leading people around the star to feel confused about his real reasons for leaving the band.
A source close to the band - which now consists of Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson, Liam Payne and Niall Horan - said: "He told everyone in the band and management that he wants to live a normal life and the next thing you know he's going into music studios and doing interviews with tabloids."