"This song is so amazing!"
Zayn is one of the most popular artists in the pop music scene.
He is known for his beautiful voice and captivating songs that leave a permanent mark on listeners.
Born Zain Javadd Malik, he began his foray into music when he auditioned for the 2010 UK series of The X Factor as a solo act.
Although Zayn failed to progress beyond the bootcamp stage of the competition, the judges allowed him to form a boy band with four other contestants.
The band was named One Direction, and they immediately won over fans, finishing the competition in third place.
One Direction became one of history’s most influential boy bands, with Number One album sales.
In 2015, Zayn quit the band, saying: “I have to do what feels right in my heart.
“I am leaving because I want to be a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.”
Since departing One Direction, Zayn has made a name for himself in the realm of solo artists.
DESIblitz presents 10 songs of his that you need to listen to.
Pillow Talk (2016)
It is only fitting that we begin our list with where it all started for Zayn as a solo singer.
‘Pillow Talk’ encompasses themes of sex, love, and inhibition.
The music video presents a lustful Zayn singing for a woman that features in the video.
‘Pillow Talk’ is raunchy and rich. It does a fantastic job of satisfying the desires of fans.
The single also shows Zayn’s prowess as a stand-alone artist.
Praising ‘Pillow Talk’, Rolling Stone said:
“Like his AWOL boy band forefathers, Zayn Malik decided to use R&B and sex appeal to launch his post-One Direction.
“This Number One hit is a smooth, seductive lover’s croon.”
Like I Would (2016)
Coming from his debut solo album Mind Of Mine, ‘Like I Would’ continues to prove that Zayn is a promising singer rising to the top.
The fast-paced song features the artist proving to a woman that she is never going to find someone who would “love you like I would”.
He also criticises the bedroom skills of her new lover.
The music video is adorned with flashing imagery and an eerie Zayn who has one orange eye.
Digital Spy listed the song as one of their ’10 Tracks You Need To Hear’.
Specifically, they said: “Up until a few days ago, we were still waiting for that BIG pop banger we know he’s capable of.
“‘Like I Would’ is just that and then some.
“Mind Of Mine is shaping up to be very interesting indeed.”
If ‘Pillow Talk’ does not fully indicate the dynamic vocal potential of Zayn, ‘Like I Would’ definitely accomplishes that.
I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (2016)
Zayn joins forces with the beloved American singer Taylor Swift for this haunting number.
‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ is from Fifty Shades Darker (2017).
The music video features Zayn in dapper black attire, while Taylor shows off her sex appeal in the same colour.
Their vocals blend seamlessly to create a sublime electro-pop chartbuster.
Reviewing the song for WordPress, Marko Galic highlights Zayn’s falsetto:
“Zayn’s verse is pretty nice up until he starts using his falsetto.
“I swear his falsetto in the verses is only reason why this song is flawless but it is a kind of nice build up for the chorus.
“Those little harmonised vocals in the second chorus sound very nice and their voices much very good.
“I love how when Zayn goes to lower notes Taylor is singing higher notes with falsetto.
“It creates one amazing contrast which I love. Ending of the song is honestly amazing.”
Dusk Till Dawn (2017)
This pop song witnesses the collaboration of Zayn and the Australian singer Sia.
Zayn’s soft voice intertwined with Sia’s powerful pitches make the song a joy to listen to.
A fan comments on YouTube:
“‘Dusk Till Dawn’ is a masterpiece that showcases Zayn’s talent as both a singer and a storyteller.”
Another adds: “Zayn and Sia’s collaboration was so unexpected, but that’s also the reason why this song far exceeded our expectations.”
Writing for The Guardian, Michael Cragg labels ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ a “towering piece of perfect pop”.
In all his collaborations with other artists, ‘Dusk Till Dawn’ emerges as one of Zayn’s finest.
Let Me (2018)
From his album Icarus Falls (2018), ‘Let Me’ sees the former One Directioner combine pop with R&B.
The song rides high on the high pitches of the singer, who shines in this erotic number.
Along with Zayn, the music video stars Steven Bauer as a kingpin who attempts to control the former.
‘Let Me’ illustrates Roko’s (Zayn) intimacy with the kingpin’s girlfriend (Sofia Jamora).
It is also an ode to female empowerment as Roko’s lover overpowers the kingpin physically.
The video ends with Roko and his new love sailing off into the sunset together.
Lauren O’Neill notes the maturity of the song:
“Overall, it implies a mellower, more grown-up approach on album two, and his fans will definitely be extremely pleased.”
‘Let Me’ undeniably signified the growth of Zayn as an artist.
Entertainer (2018)
Continuing with the love story of Roko and his girlfriend, ‘Entertainer’ sees Zayn and Sofia Jamora create a sensual listening and viewing experience.
In the music video, Roko goes to a strip club.
He finds his love there and the two of them spend the night together.
This includes a sexy scene in which she straddles Roko on a bed.
When his girlfriend disappears, he returns to the strip club to find her.
Displaying his authority, Roko sings: “Don’t you play me like a fool. In this game, I own the rules.”
The aforementioned Lauren O’Neill praises the sexiness of Zayn’s voice:
“It feels important to say that on ‘Entertainer’, as always, [Zayn] sounds like a beautifully tuneful, sexy angel.”
No Candle No Light (2018)
In this scintillating duet, Zayn and the American rapper and singer Nicki Minaj raise temperatures.
Continuing with the genius album Icarus Falls, ‘No Candle No Light’ is a song many fans love.
Gushing over the song, one fan says: “This song is so amazing! How could they do this to us?”
A second user adds: “This is so fresh on the ear. What an arrangement! Can’t stop listening.”
Nicki’s raps, ad-libs, and vocals in the song perfectly complement Zayn’s outstanding voice.
However, as much as ‘No Candle No Light’ impressed listeners, it also started rumours of trouble between Zayn and his then-partner Gigi Hadid.
Kayla from Kiss 92.5 opines: “Zayn co-wrote No Candle No Light and it’s so obvious it’s about Gigi.
“‘Hand on your hand, chest on your chest. Tangled in bed, but I’m feeling you less.
“You know my love ain’t free, why do you make believe. Why do you sell me dreams, SMS in the morning light.
“We gotta, we gotta, we gotta face it, the fire, the fire ain’t no longer blazin’.”
Regardless of the speculation, the song only adds to the dynamic array of Zayn’s music.
Better (2020)
In ‘Better’, Zayn sings for an unnamed love in a number adorned with emotion yet filled with regret.
The song echoes the speculation of ‘No Candle No Light’ in that it strengthened rumours that the song was dedicated to Gigi Hadid.
However, Zayn achieves much more than that with ‘Better’.
It is a despondent track and the rain in its music video underlines the feeling of despair uniquely.
A review talks glowingly of the soothing melody of ‘Better’:
“Alongside Zayn’s terrific vocals, the music which, is performed, in the single has a soothing guitar melody that makes you immediately fall in love with the single.
“It has that peaceful vibe which thrills your mind and soul as you listen to the words and the music inside.”
Love Like This (2023)
In June 2023, an exciting turn of events occurred in Zayn’s career when he signed onto Mercury and Republic Records.
Under the label, his single ‘Love Like This’ continues the singer’s fascination with love and relationships.
The music video showcases a cool Zayn on a motorcycle with a swooning woman behind him and in his arms.
They passionately kiss in a variety of locations. These include a lift, an alley, and atop a building.
Zayn’s co-star in the video for ‘Love Like This’ is Grace Dumdaw.
On TikTok, Grace included some of her previous tweets revealing her fandom for Zayn.
One tweet read: “If I ever meet someone as beautiful as Zayn Malik, I’d just break down crying.”
Another read: “I would kill my family to touch Zayn Malik.”
This song is an exquisite testament to the feelings one can have when they are in love.
And what vocals are better to convey than those of Zayn’s?
Alienated (2024)
In 2024, eyebrows were raised when Zayn released his hotly anticipated album Room Under The Stairs.
It had been in the works for the past six years.
One of the tracks from the album is ‘Alienated’.
In the song, Zayn focuses on letting go of the past and moving on.
On X, Zayn wrote: “Wrote ‘Alienated’ six years ago – it was the start of Room Under The Stairs.
“Happy for it to finally be with you. Thank you for all the love and support.”
Zayn describes Room Under The Stairs as his favourite album:
“This is my favourite album that I’ve made to date, mainly because it comes from a place of sheer honesty and vulnerability.
“I wanted each song to feel as if it was just me sitting beside you telling you how I feel, singing directly to you.
“It’s raw and stripped back and the type of music I always hoped to make.”
Zayn certainly achieves that with ‘Alienated’. It also creates a wonderful sense of irony as fans feel anything but alienated by the singer.
Rather, they feel more connected to him.
Zayn is an artist of extreme versatility and depth.
His music is decorated with emotion and complexity.
His ability to explore a variety of genres makes him one of the greatest singer-songwriters of his time.
So, what are you waiting for? Give your playlists a blessing as you discover the vibrant artist, Zayn.
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