Mind of Mine
Mind of Mine is the debut studio album by English singer-songwriter Zayn. It was released on March 25, 2016 through RCA Records, and was released one year after his departure from One Direction. Primarily an R&B and alternative R&B record, the album blends elements from various genres, including pop, folk, dub, soul, funk, electronic, Qawwali, hip hop, reggae, classical and soft rock. Upon release, it was met with generally positive reviews, with praise for Malik's new musical direction and his vocal performance.
Mind of Mine
Mind of Mine spawned three singles: lead single "Pillowtalk" debuted at number one in twelve countries including the UK and the US. "Like I Would", was released as the next single to moderate success, while "Wrong", featuring Kehlani, was released as the final single. Kehlani is the only feature on the album. Mind of Mine debuted at number one in several countries including the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, and Sweden, with Malik becoming the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US with a debut single and debut studio album.
Background[edit]
Following Zayn Malik's five-year stint with English-Irish band One Direction, he quit the band after signing off from the band's On the Road Again Tour for an indefinite period six days prior due to stress. Shortly after, Malik began working on solo material. After sessions with various producers, Malik eventually went on to meet James "Malay" Ho, who would become his debut album's main collaborator. On 29 July 2015, Malik shared a photo on social media of his official signing with RCA Records.[1] Throughout the rest of 2015, Malik gave interviews with several music magazines, during which he spoke about his debut solo studio album and revealed part of the track list. He stated "life experiences have been the influences for the album and just stuff that I've been through, especially in the last five years". Furthermore, he explained his reasons for leaving One Direction: "there was never any room for me to experiment creatively in the band." Malik originally auditioned to be a solo R&B singer with Mario's "Let Me Love You" in 2010 before becoming part of One Direction, but with the band headed in a pop rock direction.[2]
Due to the band's musical direction, Malik was unable to sing or write the kind of R&B music he had originally pursued before joining the band. He elaborated, "If I would sing a hook or a verse slightly R&B, or slightly myself, it would always be recorded 50 times until there was a straight version that was pop, generic" and that "Whenever I would suggest something, it was like it didn’t fit us. There was just a general conception that the management already had of what they want for the band, and I just wasn’t convinced with what we were selling. I wasn’t 100 percent behind the music. It wasn’t me. It was music that was already given to us".[2] He told Complex that "It was about denying the authenticity of who I was, and what I enjoyed about music, and why I got into it."[3]
Despite his comments regarding One Direction, he told Ryan Seacrest that he is "massively grateful for that, and if it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t be here," adding that "It’s not because I’m trying to be more successful or as successful as what was going on before, because there’s no comparison."[4] He told The Fader that "it wasn’t actually about [being the biggest] anymore" but "It was more about the people that I reach. I want to reach them in the right way, and I want them to believe what I’m saying." He added, "I just want to make music now."[2]
Conception and influence[edit]
In March 2015, Malik was seen at a London recording studio with producer Naughty Boy, leading to speculation of the pair working on music together.[5] Following his departure from One Direction, Malik alluded to the potential of a solo career, with the release of his first solo studio album to be released under the Syco label in 2016.[6][7] On 31 March 2015, Naughty Boy released on SoundCloud an early demo of Malik's song "I Won't Mind".[8] In June 2015, UK rapper Mic Righteous leaked Malik's "No Type", featuring Mic Righteous and produced by Naughty Boy, a cover version of Rae Sremmurd's hip hop song.[9] With Naughty Boy as his producer, Malik also worked with grime rappers Krept & Konan during this time, recording a song together with an unfinished music video, but the material was never released after Malik parted ways with Naughty Boy.[10] Though unreleased, his work with Naughty Boy and Krept & Konan helped Malik gain a new urban audience in the UK.[11]
He stated musically the record leans towards R&B,[2] and described his album as "weird, alternative R&B", stating that "It's all very sparse and random," and "They're all kind of different thoughts. The music reflects that as well because they're different emotions, so you feel different things through each song."[12] He also said it would incorporate different genres of music, such as soul,[12] reggae, and an R&B-rock fusion, stating that "all the songs are different genres," and that they "don't really fit a specific type of music. They're not like, 'This is funk, this is soul, this is upbeat, this is a dance tune.' Nothing is like that. I don't really know what my style is yet. I'm kind of just showing what my influences are. Depending on what the reaction is, then I'll go somewhere with that."[2]
The album was influenced by the music that Malik grew up with, primarily his father's urban music records, including R&B artists R. Kelly, Usher, Donell Jones, and Prince, rappers Tupac and Biggie, and reggae artists Gregory Isaacs and Yellowman, as well as Bollywood music.[2][13] He cited rapper Tupac's All Eyez on Me as the album that had the biggest impact on him, stating that it is "so real, and from a perspective of a place where somebody is not afraid to be completely 100 percent honest." He said, "as I grew up, it really helped me to understand that it’s OK to be honest with your art, because people appreciate that."[3] In an interview with NME, Malik explained the album's title: "It's really reflective of the whole experience that I want to give the listener. I wanted it to be almost like a brainstorm. It’s just music and it’s just whatever you’re feeling at that moment in time."[14]
Writing and recording[edit]
Teasing what could be expected of his first solo LP, Malik told Billboard: "once they [the fans] hear it, I feel like they will understand me a little bit more. For 10 years, this album has been in my brain, and it's just been there, sat with me, needing to be out." Talking about the recording sessions with Billboard, Malik's main collaborator for the album James "Malay" Ho said they have gone to unusual lengths in pursuit of inspiration, for one "we went camping for a week in the Angeles Forest – set up a generator and a tent so we could track in the woods."[15] James Ho is a Grammy Award winning producer,[16] whose past work includes Frank Ocean's Channel Orange and Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty.[17] "I'll come down here [the recording room] and record maybe seven songs a night," Malik told the magazine. "I’m enjoying what I’m doing. I’m not censoring myself anymore."[15]
Ho described Malik as "pure genius"[18] and noted that most of the vocals were recorded in just a few takes.[2] According to Ho, Malik was heavily involved in every aspect of recording, stating that, "Even if there were co-writers involved, all the direction for the songs and all the lyrics and everything pretty much came from him".[19] The song titles are rendered in a stylised manner, reminiscent of Prince.[20] Malik said the stylized capitalization reflects the way he used to like capitalizing letters when he was at school.[21] Malik said that, after his debut album releases, he plans to pursue an academic degree in English or literature (which he originally intended before his music career), while at the same time working on writing his next album.[22] Malik said that "Pillowtalk" was written about sex, stating that "everybody has sex, and it’s something people wanna hear about. It’s part of everybody’s life, a very big part of life. And you don’t want to sweep it under the carpet."[23][24] "It's You" was inspired by the breakup of a relationship (possibly from Little Mix's Perrie Edwards), with Malik stating, "It was a form of therapy for me, and it did help me get through" some personal issues, while he was writing it.[25][26]
According to Ho, "Befour" was conceived when he and Malik were in the VIP area of a Las Vegas club where Big Sean was performing in August 2015, and Malik said, "It's crazy being here in Vegas. I’ve literally been all over the world with One Direction. I’ve done this before, but not like this. Not by myself, not this way, not here with the intention of working on my own music".[19]
The Qawwali Urdu song "Flower" was inspired by Malik's upbringing as a British Pakistani Muslim.[27][28] Referencing the recording, Ho stated that Malik "knows how to sing like that and he’s always been able to do it, but he just never took it that seriously" until one day he "just picked up the mic and tracked that whole thing basically live, in one take." Ho said he "was just blown away" and "didn’t know he could sing like that," and that "he told me he was in a super spiritual place, and that the saying is something one of his family members had told him that had always stuck to him." Ho said the session was like jazz "where a singer will have a concept or a melody and then the rest of it is just improv."[28] Malik sung and wrote one of the songs, "Wrong", in collaboration with American R&B singer and songwriter Kehlani.[29] According to Malik, he "reached out to her, played a couple of songs for her in L.A. and she's really cool, she liked the music, so she got in the studio within a couple of days, she gave me a song back that she wanted me to do, and we just got it done straight away."[30] Malik originally wrote "Wrong" as a rap, which he then used to create lyrics for the song.[25] "Fool for You" is a pop ballad inspired by The Beatles, particularly John Lennon, citing the songs "In My Life" and the Indian-influenced "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".[14] Malik sang "Lucozade" in a freestyle manner and recorded the song in one take.[31]
Composition[edit]
Music[edit]
Primarily R&B and alternative R&B, the album blends elements from a number of genres, including pop, folk, soul (including British soul[27] and neo-soul), dub,[32] funk,[20] electronic,[33] reggae,[34] Qawwali ghazal,[35][36] hip hop,[37][38] classical,[39] and soft rock.[40] The album also channels different eras of music, including modern, retro,[41] 1980s,[27] and 1990s,[42] while the moods of the album vary from slow ballads to thumping club jams.[43] Despite the variations in the sounds and genres, Mind of Mine is structured in an "album-as-complete-work" form, maintaining a tightly knit cohesion throughout the record, with an almost seamless transition between and across songs,[37][43][44] while maintaining a recognizable, mostly downbeat, "hazy" tone throughout.[41][45][46][47] This gives the album a continuous flow,[41] and gives the impression that it all came from one person's "mind".[43]
The album largely foregoes radio-friendly "pop bangers" in favour of "sexy, seductive R&B" that focuses on "moods and textures and creating an alluring, provocative vibe", while maintaining an almost seamless cohesiveness throughout the record.[43][48] The album showcases Malik's vocals, tackling different moods such as smitten, libidinous, and ethereal,[44] and using vocal techniques such as intricately voiced chords and falsettos throughout the album, ornate vocal runs in "Fool for You",[20] vibrato in "It's You",[49] Qawwali singing in "Flower",[35] freestyle singing in "Lucozade"[31] and reggae singing in "Do Something Good".[50] The music production is similarly detailed, complex, and deeply textured, ranging from elaborate synth swirls in "She" to the careful layering of soft-funk guitar lines in "Borderz".[20] There is sonic experimentation present throughout the album, experimenting with elements such as the minimal and moody tones of contemporary R&B, reverberated funk guitar, M83-esque electronics, and soft rock drums and piano.[40]
Songs[edit]
The opening title track "Mind of Mine" involves Malik's voice warbling plaintively through a fog of effects,[32] with his voice drenched in reverb and backed by a piano,[38] and it has some Bollywood music elements.[49] The track seamlessly transitions into the lead single "Pillowtalk".[44] "Pillowtalk" is a downtempo electronic[33] R&B slow jam,[51] leaning towards alternative R&B.[52][53][54] "It's You" is a slow R&B intimate ballad that showcases Malik's falsetto as he sings the song's title during the chorus.[55] "Befour" was described by Rolling Stone as "smooth R&B"[56] and NME described it as an "R&B ballad".[57] Music Times said it combines R&B, synthpop, and soul,[58] and AXS said it uses "tribal percussion and ringing synths".[59] AXS calls it an "experimental and assertive slice of R&B" with "personal lyrics addressing his past and detractors all at once."[60] New Statesman says it is "tightly-constructed and slickly-produced" and includes one of Malik's vocal hallmarks, a "long and impossibly high note."[61] Billboard states that "Zayn channels his inner Justin Timberlake" with the song.[62]
"She" is a self-described "party tune" that is "not as intense lyrically" as some of the other cuts.[63] Herald Sun noted its funky groove recalls Timberlake's Justified and Michael Jackson's Off the Wall.[64] It incorporates 1980s synth sounds,[20][43] and an experimental hip hop outro that blends into the next track, the R&B track "Drunk".[37][65] "Drunk" incorporates elements from 1990s R&B music.[42] "Flower" is an experimental interlude, in the form of a spiritual, Pakistani ghazal that Malik sings in Urdu, his father's native language,[28][35][36][66] backed by Ho's folk-style acoustic guitar playing[27][28][40] and atmospheric sounds resembling a thick mist.[40][67] Qawwali is a form of devotional Sufi music associated with Islamic culture,[35][49] and Malik used Indian techniques for the track, including vocal elisions,[35] warbling,[47] and "deeply centered but controlled fervor".[27] "Flower" was influenced by Indian Music, music his father used to play in his home.[68] "Rear View" features electronic loops and warbled synths stacked atop of each other, as Malik's vocals echo throughout the chorus.[40] "Wrong" incorporates elements from early 2000s R&B music.[50]
"Fool for You" is a Beatles-influenced pop ballad, which Malik says was influenced by John Lennon in particular.[14] It is a retro piano ballad, with some electronic elements.[41] "Truth" is an experimental neo-soul track with dub elements,[32][66] and is mellow and low-key.[69] "Lucozade" is a chorus-less song,[46] lacking a hook, and has Malik singing a set of "stream-of consciousness" verses, in a manner similar to hip hop.[38] Malik sings the verses continuously, almost without pause, like a train of thought, before ending abruptly.[70] The song also utilises 1980s synth sounds.[20] "Blue" uses a classical piece, Johann Sebastian Bach's "Prelude No. 1 in C major", as background music.[71] "Do Something Good" is a reggae song,[34] reminiscent of Bob Marley.[50] "Like I Would" was described by Billboard as a "dancefloor-ready R&B jam"[72] and The Independent described it as "electro-R&B".[73] It incorporates a funky hook,[74] and disco grooves.[75]
Commercial performance[edit]
In the United Kingdom, Mind of Mine debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart, with 22,250 copies sold, replacing Adele's 25 at the summit.[154][155] The album set a UK streaming record, as the highest-streamed debut for a British male act.[156] In its second week, it fell to number nine on the albums chart, selling 7,733 copies,[157] and fell to number three on the album streaming chart.[158] Overseas, the album entered at number one in New Zealand and Australia, making him the 26th English male solo artist to top the Australian Albums Chart.[159] In France, it debuted at number three on the albums chart and number one on the albums download chart.[160] The record also opened at number one on the Canadian Albums Chart with first week sales of 11,000 copies in the country. As a result, Zayn became the first artist since Yoan to enter at Canada's summit with a debut album.[161]
In the United States, Mind of Mine debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, shifting 157,000 album-equivalent units (including album sales, equivalent track sales, and equivalent streams), including 112,000 pure album sales[162] and 40.8 million streams,[163] one of the highest weekly streaming figures for an album.[95] Malik became the first British male solo artist to debut at number one with his first album, the first British male solo artist to reach number one with his first album since George Michael's Faith in 1988 (which debuted at number 41 and took nine weeks to reach number one), the first UK act to debut at number one with their first album since his former group One Direction's Up All Night (on the chart dated 31 March 2012), and the first UK act to debut at number one with their first album on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart since Susan Boyle's I Dreamed a Dream in 2009. Malik is also one of a number of artists that have achieved number one both as part of a group and as a solo act,[162] the first British male artist to debut at number one in both the UK and US,[164] and the third artist to debut at number one on both the Billboard 200 and Billboard Hot 100 with debut entries on each chart (along with Lauryn Hill and Clay Aiken).[165] The album release propelled Malik to number one on the Billboard Artist 100 chart, replacing Justin Bieber at the summit,[166] and surpassing One Direction's number-two peak on the chart.[167] Mind of Mine subsequently sold 44,000 units the following week,[168] and 31,000 units the week after, hence selling a total of 232,000 copies in the first three weeks.[169]
Mind of Mine set an iTunes record, becoming the first debut album to top the daily iTunes charts in more than 70 countries,[70][170] having topped the daily iTunes charts of 84 countries within 24 hours of release.[171][172] Mind of Mine also set a Twitter record, as the first album to top the Billboard Twitter Top Tracks chart for three straight weeks with three consecutive songs: "It's You", "Like I Would" and "Befour".[173]