So... yeah. In a pretty twisted turn of events, Frank Ocean producer Malay has just declared former One Direction member Zayn Malik a “pure genius”.

“Cat's out the bag, it's no secret we've been working”, the Grammy award winner tweeted yesterday. “(He's) an artists' artist. A shining star with a genuine heart.”

Now, this is potentially very high praise when you look at the producer's star-spangled resume. Malay not only worked on Ocean's gamechanging Channel Orange, but he's also done studio time with Angel Haze, Big Boi and Alicia Keys. Could all this actually mean that Malik's solo debut is going to be ...really good? ...Is that what is actually happening here?

At this stage, not much else is known about the record – but a recent Twitter conversation may have also hinted at another collaboration with Odd Future's Tyler, The Creator too. Behold:

Dw, we're confused too.

Although Malik has always been vocal about his desire to make “real music” since signing with RCA – he's even popped up on our playlists a couple of times – the leap from One Direction to credible solo star is going to be a tough one to take. But, from the looks of it, he may actually have a solid enough team to make it work. I guess only time will tell.