Zayn releases new album Icarus Falls: Title meaning, tracklist, features, lyrics and other talking points
The record is the follow-up to the 25-year-old's debut Mind of Mine, which came out in 2016
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Your support makes all the difference.Zayn Malik has released his new, long-awaited album Icarus Falls, which is now available to stream and download. Fans are obviously very excited.
The record is the follow-up to the 25-year-old's debut Mind of Mine, which came out in 2016. It's a rather staggering 27 tracks long, and includes collaborations with Nicki Minaj and Timbaland.
Here are some of the key talking points about Icarus Falls:
The album title is significant
Zayn appears to be referencing his struggles with fame and anxiety following his departure from One Direction and consequent solo career. In Greek mythology, Icarus escaped prison by crafting a pair of wings made from feathers and wax. However, he flew too close to the sun, so the wax melted, and he plummeted to his death.
Zayn could be using the title as a metaphor for how he feels he "escaped" from One Direction, but the ensuing scrutiny from the media over his relationships and career was too much, and caused him to step away from the spotlight.
Zayn executive produced the record
Other production credits go to Henrique Andrade, Alexandra Bursztyn, Robert Cavallo, Frank Dukes, Greg Kurstin, Brian Lee, Angel Lopez, MakeYOuKnowLove, Malay, Murda Beatz, Khaled Rohaim, Saltwives, Sawyr, Timbaland and Federico Vindver. Phew!
There's a track about Gigi Hadid, his on-off girlfriend of two years
"There You Are" offers some insight into his close relationship with Gigi Hadid, suggesting that whether or not they are a "couple", she has always been there for him. He also criticises other "friends" that "don't come through".
"Need you when I'm broken / Need you when I'm fixed / Need you when I'm well / Need you when I'm sick," he sings, and later: "There you are / There you are / You're there with open arms."
The album includes six previously released singles
"Let Me", "Entertainer", "Sour Diesel", "Too Much", "Fingers" and "No Candle No Light" were all released as singles ahead of the album. "Dusk Till Dawn" ft Sia, and "Still Got Time" ft PartyNextDoor, only feature on the Japanese edition of the record.
Timbaland, who features on the album, was impressed by the young artist
"What impresses me about Zayn is the vision he has for his music," the veteran producer told Billboard in 2017.
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He samples the song "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)"
On the dark, heady track "Good Guy", he features Nancy Sinatra's version of "Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)", sampling the fuzzy guitar intro and looping her vocal.
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