Zayn Malik has joined the bearded club!
The singer, 31, surprised fans as he appeared with a new look that included a grown-out beard in a video posted on Instagram on Friday, Aug. 23.
Malik looked markedly different as he sported his new beard, sideburns and longer hair while dressed in a cream shirt and matching pants. In the clip, he sat to sing an acapella version of his song “Shoot At Will” from his latest album Room Under the Stairs.
The bearded look is a striking departure from the British singer’s signature appearance of shorter cropped hair with a hint of stubble.
“Your hair 🥹 I am dying…… 😩,” a follower commented, as another added, “I wasn’t ready😆.”
“Give me the haircare routine cause how tf your hair grows that fast,” a third said.
The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!
Malik’s barber, Mike Webb Jr., joked in the comments, “Now that’s a man that’s exploring the world and loyal to his barber 😅,” as a follower replied to Webb, “Please don’t cut his hair — we want long-haired Zayn.”
Malik’s latest transformation comes after his milestone concert in London in May.
The singer appeared in a considerably more clean-cut look as he performed at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire in his first-ever headlining solo gig and first concert since he left One Direction in 2015.
Malik performed several songs from his latest album, Room Under the Stairs, which was released the same month, for the first time for fans.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.
In a post shared on Instagram after the momentous show, Malik wrote, “Been 8 days since I performed at London’s O2 SBE … my first gig in over 8 years. The amount of outpouring love and support I felt has left me speechless. All I can say is thank you and I can’t wait to see you all again.”
“Forever grateful to each and every one of you who have supported me throughout the years and made this possible. See you all again soon xx Z,” he added.