Album Review: ZAYN 'Mind of Mine' Shades of A Brilliant Solo Career Ahead
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When boyband members branch of to their own solo efforts it rarely works.
Justin Timberlake and Nick Jonas are the two big exceptions and from the sounds of his new album Mind of Mine, ZAYN should be joining those two names soon.
Mind of Mine opens up with a melodic welcome into ZAYN's mind with a short intro titled, "MiNd Of MiNdd." The album then moves into the first single fans were introduced to "PILLOWTALK." Once you get past the huge radio hit with well over 200,000,000 views on YouTube, you enter the soft and soulful track titled, "iT's YoU." The track finds ZAYN showing off his falsetto over a smooth production that is near hypnotic.
The tempo jumps up with "BeFoUr" which happens to be another one of the singles that were released prior to the albums official release. It's got an electronic feel blended with R&B styled lyrics and vocal delivery. It's one of the standout tracks on the album out of the sheer infectious nature of it.
On "sHe" ZAYN highlights a girl/woman looking for love in the right ways and happens to think she will find it in him. It's another pop/electronic track that you think would be inevitable for a club-tuned remix.
In terms of overall sound ZAYN and Justin Bieber have locked on to a crossover genre that simply outlines their strengths and versatilities.
#MindOfMine .. yours now !!!!
https://t.co/aKiFddVIXz pic.twitter.com/1mggMgBHcm-- zayn (@zaynmalik) March 25, 2016
"dRuNk" breaks back into the calmer side of things and it's a mixture of being plain drunk and drunk in love. It puts ZAYN in a vulnerable and honest state with no control over what he says when he's around the special someone.
"INTERMISSION: fLoWer" is an ode to his Pakistani roots with a classic sitar playing in the background.
There are so many layers to the album that it really does reflect all of the influences he spoke about in his interview with The Fader.
(Album Stream Below)
ZAYN continues the incredible layers with an electronic inspired track titled "rEaR vIeW" where he seems to be leaving love behind. The melodies and harmonies on the album are very mature and shows a drastic difference from his time with One Direction.
While One Direction fans might be crushed or upset that ZAYN is no longer a part of the band they might want to celebrate the fact that he really has found a successful sound of is own.
"wRoNg" featuring Kehlani is without a doubt another one of the major standout tracks on the album. Between the deep bass breakdowns and sensual lyrics, both ZAYN and Kehlani reveal the harsh reality of trying to find love in the wrong place.
The piano driven "fOoL fOr YoU" is a classic tune that resembles the beginnings of soul and R&B. The transition from a heavy track like "wRoNg" might seem drastic to some but it's really a product of the eclectic musical styles that influenced ZAYN.
"BoRdErZ" is a sultry song where ZAYN encourages his lover to break down their walls and put each other in their most vulnerable states. "tRuTh" does in fact sound like a Justin Timberlake tune in its arrangement. It's quite possibly the lightest tracks on the album.
"lUcOzAdE" is a trippy track and the name seems to come from an energy drink. The song has a Disclosure-esque feel and adds more of the electronic flavor to the mix.
"TiO" has an introduction that hints to listeners that it will be a big track. The song is a mixture of The Weeknd and ZAYN's own style of R&B. He intelligently pulls some of the best aspects of the biggest names in the R&B/Pop genre to develop a striking concoction of sound.
"BLUE" is beautifully done and offers breathtaking visuals from the seemingly complex mind of ZAYN. It's an excellent display of what ZAYN is capable of vocally.
Once again ZAYN brings your heart rate down only to get it pumping again with "BRIGHT," a song that quickens the pace once again and carries over into "LIKE I WOULD," one of his previous singles. The deluxe version of Mind of Mine ends with "SHE DON'T LOVE YOU" and finds a happy medium between the softer and upbeat tracks that led up to the finish.
Overall, Mind of Mine shows maturity, sophistication and an adoration for a plethora of genres.
It's a very solid solo debut for ZAYN. Let us know what you think about ZAYN's Mind of Mine in the comments section and stream the album below.