Our boy from Bradford needs no introduction … we’re beyond excited that Zayn Malik is back with his fifth studio album, KONNAKOL, which will be blessing our ears on April 19. Before then, it’s high time we take a look at ‘vas happenin with ZAYN, and the course he’s chartered to inspire his next era of sound.
He’s released some legendary singles
Breaking into the solo scene in 2016 with world-renowned single ‘PILLOWTALK’, ZAYN made his mark clear from the jump – a trademark realm that softens the bold with intimacy and spotlights the intimate boldly. Following this globally-charting number-one, he followed suit with unmistakable bangers such as ‘Like I Would’ and’ Let Me’.
Flash forward a decade to our latest leading single ‘Die For Me’. This first look at KONNAKOL is rich with emotion that elevates the charge from the ballad work on his earlier solo albums like Mind of Mine’s ‘fOoL fOr YoU’. Combine this with an even steadier self-assurance than what we heard on 2024’s ‘What I Am’, and it’s obvious ZAYN is cooking something that will have us on the FLOOR.
He’s a father
Through it all, ZAYN has also been dad to five-year-old Khai, who he co-parents with mother Gigi Hadid. While this aspect of his life remains relatively private, ZAYN has made comments on how fatherhood has changed his approach to a lot of things in life, including filling his life with colour and increasing the depth from which he creates.
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He’s been playing a Vegas Residency (and is touring again!)
Last month, ZAYN played a 7-night residency in Vegas, surprising fans with a mix of unreleased tracks and fan favourites on the setlist. Accompanied by his eight-person all-female band, ZAYN performed alongside chromatic production with crisp spotlights, atmospheric graphics and lyrical excerpts – a fitting complement to his remarkably authentic stage presence. The January run follows ZAYN’s 2024 tour ‘Stairway to the Sky’, his first ever solo tour that spanned the U.K., U.S. and Mexico.
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He’s featured on some iconic collabs
ZAYN’s artistic force could be measured purely on the merit of his collaborations and it would remain an undeniable feat. He’s touched the heights of pop with Taylor Swift on ‘I Don’t Wanna Live Forever’ for the 50 Shades Darker soundtrack, and the depths of R&B on Sabrina Claudio’s ‘Rumours’. We have the 2018 back-to-back run of the powerfully romantic ‘Dusk ‘Till Dawn’ with Sia and ‘Still Got Time’ with PARTYNEXTDOOR – which screams 2010s summer nostalgia. Most recently, he’s teamed up with BlackPink’s Jisoo on ‘Eye’s Closed’ (2025) to prove once again, how atmospherically his voice blends to ballad across genres.
He’s dabbled in the world of fashion
It’s perhaps a lesser known sidequest of his but ZAYN’s artistic expression has expanded into the world of fashion on many occasions. In 2022, he released ‘PAYNT BY ZAYN’, a limited edition merchandise line featuring designs crafted from his original artworks and paintings. Prior to this, he had released a capsule collection of footwear with Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti, and fronted the Versace Spring Summer campaign of 2017 amongst other prolific achievements in the industry.
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His solo sound stays evolving
ZAYN has cast his insanely rich vocal palette against many genres across his discography. His debut solo record, Mind of Mine showcased triumphs of kaleidoscopic R&B, in which each track was a moment in and of itself. 2018’s double-album, Icarus Falls, gave a full spread across an impressive 29 tracks that channeled Greek mythology and trap influence to frame conversations of discovery – in all aspects of life and love. 2021’s Nobody is Listening surfaced a fresh vibrance of R&B-pop fusion with an intimacy that paved the way for his most recent record. 2024’s Room Under the Stairs is undoubtedly ZAYN’s most stripped-back record yet. It courses country, folk, and soul, through the strong aural lineage of acoustic pop as its backbone. Tracks like ‘Stardust’ showcase the serene maturity of his lyricism, often paired and accentuated with the quiet confidence of numbers like ‘Concrete Kisses’. Fronting KONNAKOL with the South Asian Snow Leopard, ZAYN is undoubtedly set to chart new ground leaning into both the gravity of his cultural heritage and the momentum of what he has to say next.
KONNAKOL, the brand-new album from ZAYN, is out April 17. Pre-order here.
