Former One Direction member Zayn Malik released his first solo album on March 25.
On the one year anniversary of Malik leaving the band, he shook the world with "Mind Of Mine," which immediately shot to the number one in dozens of countries.
Malik is the first member of the band to depart and pursue a solo career. It always seemed like he was the odd one out of the group, coming off as mysterious. But in all reality, he was just not being himself.
Fans all across the globe have missed his legendary high notes and riffs for a year now, and he definitely did not disappoint with his debut album.
"Mind Of Mine" has a slow jam R&B feel with a mixture of Frank Ocean and Usher-like vocals. After listening to his album in full, it is hard to imagine that he was ever in One Direction at all.
In an interview with Fader, Malik explained, “If I would sing a hook or a verse slightly R&B, or slightly myself, it would always be recorded 50 times until there was a straight version that was pop, generic as f*ck, so they could use that version. Whenever I would suggest something, it was like it didn’t fit us."
While listening to the tracks of "Mind Of Mine," you really get a chance to get inside Malik's head. You can see how much different his sound is from that of One Direction's, and it's a beautiful thing that Malik can now finally be the musician he has always been on the inside.
After listening to the album, most of the tracks have a soft yet upbeat tone. Accompanied by Malik's soft, sultry, and almost hypnotic vocals, none of the songs were lacking. However, each song on "Mind Of Mine" has a different feel to it.
Malik explains to Fader, "They don’t really fit a specific type of music. They’re not like, 'This is funk, this is soul, this is upbeat, this is a dance tune.’ Nothing is like that. I don’t really know what my style is yet. I’m kind of just showing what my influences are. Depending on what the reaction is, then I’ll go somewhere with that.
Malik's debut solo track was "Pillowtalk," which debuted at #1 on The Billboard Hot 100, and was the first impression of Malik's solo career. This sultry track gave the fans what they had been missing for almost a year.
As amazing as his new songs are, this album has a much greater significance. This album shows a 22-year-old man finally being able to show the world who he is. This album is a way for Malik to show the world how much he had to hide to keep One Direction's image.
Malik told Fader, “To me, it’s like I stood in front of a canvas for about five years, and someone said like, ‘You’re not allowed to paint on this canvas.’ I’ve got the paint, I’ve got the f*cking brushes, and I can’t get it on there. Now someone removed the plastic and was like, ‘Alright, you can now paint.’”
When Malik left the band a year ago, he shook the entire world. One Direction fans everywhere were devastated by the news; no one could actually believe what was happening.
What followed were months of anger that turned to grief for One Direction fans.
However, with the debut of his album, those fans that had something taken from them got it back exactly a year later, which is truly a gift.
Although Malik will always be missed as a part of the phenomenon that is One Direction, fans are loving his new direction.
Malik explains, “It wasn’t about the amount of ticket sales that I get. It was more about the people that I reach. I want to reach them in the right way, and I want them to believe what I’m saying. I’ve done enough in terms of financial backing for me to live comfortably. I just want to make music now."
