[3] Though he claims his songs are parodies, he has been banned from Youtube multiple times for content deemed by the corporation to violate its hate speech policy.

One South Korean student was "devastated, upset, very offended, and feeling very lonely", being the only East-Asian child in the class.

The single-cover features a silhouette of Malik in front of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center as they were attacked.

[15] In the end of November 2013, he was involved in another controversy after his song "Only 17", a parody of "Just a Dream" by Nelly, was accidentally played uncensored over the speakers at a McDonald's company in Wales.

Noting that his death would have prevented the success of his later music career, he wished to send others "a message of hope".