Caught off guard by Zayn Malik and Taylor Swift’s Fifty Shades Darker song “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever?” You weren’t the only one, but it turns out their collaboration came together pretty seamlessly.

Zayn stopped by Elvis Duran and the Morning Show yesterday (December 13) for a rare interview to discuss his and Tay’s yearning duet. He said he was working on the song with noted Swift pal Jack Antonoff, who at some point played the song for her and set the wheels in motion.

“We were kind of in separate places when I mentioned the idea to her,” Zayn said. “I spoke to her on the phone, and she heard the song ‘cause Jack had played it to her. She really liked it, and she went in the studio the next day.”

Of course, Taylor’s close friendship with Zayn’s girlfriend Gigi Hadid didn't hurt either.

“The interesting thing was she’s actually friends with Gi, so she already reached out because Jack had just played her the song anyway,” Zayn continued. “She mentioned to me that she liked the song so I already kind of knew in the back of my head that she liked it, so I asked her if she wanted to be on it and she was cool with it.”

And that, folks, is how you make musical magic happen.

Check out the full interview below to hear Zayn further discuss his autobiography and his musical influences, or just to look at that angelic face of his.