On March 25, 2015 Zayn Malik left the beloved boy band, One Direction. When Malik left the band, this caused devastation from fans all across the world. Little did people know that Malik would publish a solo album, “Mind of Mine,” exactly one year after his departure from the band. He recorded his hit single, “PILLOWTALK,” showing fans a new taste of his music. “PILLOWTALK” received amazing reviews and was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart. After performing another single, “Like I Would,” on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” on March 24, the complete album was released on March 25.
“sHE”
“sHE” starts off with a mix of R&B and an electronic tune that I really liked. This track has a catchy beat and easy sing-along lyrics throughout the entirety of the song. This was easily one of my favorites on the album because of the new and distinct voice that I heard from Malik that was more powerful than his singing in One Direction.
“PILLOWTALK”
Malik definitely made a statement for himself with this song when it was realized on January 29, 2016. It quickly became one of the most listened to songs. Although it was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart, the song received mixed reviews from critics. Billboard, giving the song a fairly good review, said “If ‘PILLOWTALK’ is anything to go by, Malik has left bubblegum pop behind. From here on, its slick R&B.” But Entertainment Weekly compared Malik to a weaker Justin Bieber. This was not one of my favorite songs on the album, because it has been playing on the radio constantly, but I do enjoy how Malik gave this song an early release giving fans his new style.
“BeFoUr”
This track has a really relaxed, but fun beat for the whole song. It was written about Malik’s departure from One Direction, making it evident with lyrics “I’ve done this before/Not like this, not like this.” In the middle of the song Malik was able to hit a super high note that left so many fans impressed with his voice. I especially liked this song because it was very personal and had very deep lyrics.
Although leaving One Direction was a big upset for devoted Directioners last year, this album was able to truly exhibit Malik’s outstanding vocals and unique individual style, instead of competing with four other band members to have his voice heard. If you want to hear the other 17 songs on the album, be sure to check them out!
