One Direction would have thrived with or without Zayn Malik.

Harry Styles, who's reported to release his own solo material, said in an interview with they came up with the best album yet, "Made In The A.M.," without Zayn Malik.

"I think it was obviously different, the process, because there was one less of us. But at the same time it didn't change... in terms of the writing of the album... it didn't change that much," he said in a recent interview.

"I think the focus over the last five years has always been the same in that we want to make the best record that we can. I think that didn't change in any way."

Harry Styles acknowledged that "Made In The A.M." might sound a little different because the voice of Zayn Malik is missing, "but we've very much grown stronger, probably through the realization that we all have the same goal for a lot of things."

"I think everyone was very much on the same page that we wanted to work really hard on the album and make something that we're proud of which, fortunately, we feel like we have done," he went on to add of the new album, "Made In The A.M."

Zayn Malik left the band earlier this year following rumors of him cheating with a blonde girl in Thailand surfaced. Later, he also split from his fiancée, Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards, right after announcing that he's working on a solo album.

His decision created a friction with Louis Tomlinson as the two ex-members of One Direction traded barbs over Twitter.

Louis Tomlinson even hinted that Perrie Edwards' ex could not carry a tune and was better off in a band like One Direction as Briana Jungwirth's baby daddy tweeted, "And some people can't even sing.. but who's complaining when there's auto tune eh."

That prompted a reply from Zayn Malik who tweeted back, "Remember when you had a life and stopped making b****y comments about mine?"