Zayn Malik took another step back into the spotlight Monday following his exit from One Direction last month.

Malik sent his first tweet since March 18, thanking his fans for their continued support as he stayed off the radar for the past few weeks.

"Wanna say thanks to everyone that's been there for me over the last few weeks, love you all.. you know who you are x," the 22-year-old wrote. He then added clarification for the "x" at the end of his tweet, "The x is a kiss by the way it's not a mystery."

At the time of his One Direction departure, Malik stated he left because he wanted to be "a normal 22-year-old" and enjoy some "private time out of the spotlight." He jetted off to Italy soon after with his fiancée Perrie Edwards for a romantic getaway.

The English singer made his first public appearance on Friday night at the Asian Awards in London with a freshly shaven head. He received the Outstanding Achievement in Music award and thanked his four former bandmates during his acceptance speech.

"I'd also like to take this moment to thank four of the best guys that I ever met whilst being in the band and doing all the amazing things that I did. Some of the things that we did will stay with me for the rest of my life," he said.

Malik will likely start a solo career next but has made no official announcement.

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