Is Zayn Malik's "It's You" About Perrie Edwards?

Big news, Zayn fans: Zayn Malik just released the studio version of "It's You," which he recently debuted in a live performance on The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. Of course, as with any song released by Malik, the song immediately prompted fans to speculate its meaning — and, unsurprisingly, the main thing listeners wanted to know about the track was who is it about. A likely theory was that "It's You" could be about Perrie Edwards. But, at the time, I had to wonder: was everyone just jumping to conclusions by assuming the song was about Malik's former fiancée? Now that we can listen to the official version of "It's You," — another track from Malik's much-anticipated album Mind Of Mine — does everyone still think the song is about Edwards?

"It's You" certainly feels like a break-up anthem. While the song is both somber and beautiful in tone, with Malik showcasing the full range of his voice, the lyrics are unmistakable. Malik appears to be examining a past relationship, thinking over how he used to feel about a person and what's changed since they broke up. It definitely feels as though "It's You" is addressing a former partner who played a pivotal role in the One Direction singer's life at one time. While we can all only speculate as to who "It's You" is about, the lyrics hint at the end of a relationship.

With lyrics like "She don't give a f*ck about what I need," the track is hard-hitting in a lot of ways. There are mixed emotions in the song, with Malik trying to understand what's happened, and not really being able to explain it: "I can't tell you why because my brain can't equate it." Any break up throws a million emotions around, and it can be hard to figure out the truth of a situation. In this way, "It's You" doesn't shy away from the dark side of break-ups.

While the person Malik is addressing in the song seems content to let things continue, the "Pillowtalk" singer expresses in the lyrics he can't be complacent. When he claims "I won't cover the scars, I'll let them bleed," it's a brave declaration. He's saying that he knows there's a temptation to hide problems, but he doesn't want to do that. He's ready to work through the pain. It would make sense, then, that the song was about Edwards.

Later on in "It's You," Malik muses, "Could it be that it's a lesson that I never had to learn?" Self-help books often encourage us to find meaning in the worst situations of our lives, but the former boy band member is ready to move on, as there's nothing left to learn from this particular chapter of his life. If the song is about Edwards, this seems like a brutal summation of their relationship, though we'll never know exactly what went down between the pair.

It's not long now until Mind of Mine is released on March 25. It seems likely that other songs on the album will reference aspected of Zayn Malik's life. I wonder if there will be any Little Mix response tracks in retaliation?