Zayn Malik returns with a fresh album!
On Wednesday, the 31-year-old former One Direction member teased the release of his upcoming LP through a brief Instagram video featuring various clips and photos of himself.
“The wait is over,” Malik captioned the post.
In the video, the “Dusk Till Dawn” singer shared in a voiceover, “I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to gain more insight into me as a person.”
“My aspirations, my apprehensions… and for them to connect with that,” the singer, who had cleared his Instagram feed before the announcement, elaborated. “And that’s why it’s so authentic, you know? It’s just me writing this.”
“I didn’t want anything else to come between me and the music, and the music and the people listening to it,” he concluded. Fans were then treated to a snippet of what seems to be a new track, with Malik crooning, “If I told you I loved you, would you say that it’s f—ed up?”
Last month, Rolling Stone confirmed Malik’s upcoming album, co-produced by Dave Cobb, renowned for his work across country and rock genres with artists like Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, and Lady Gaga.
According to the publication, Malik had been crafting the album — his first under the new label Mercury Records — for years at his rural Pennsylvania home before involving the Grammy-winning producer, 49.
“What struck me about Zayn was his voice; you can hear love, loss, pain, triumph, and humanity in it. I feel like this record is stripping away the barriers between his spirit and his fans,” Cobb told Rolling Stone about the highly anticipated LP.
“Zayn has truly crafted his own world on this record; he has no inhibitions and is speaking directly from his soul,” he added. This isn’t the first mention of Malik’s upcoming project. Last July, during an interview on the Call Her Daddy podcast, the artist confirmed, “I’m working on an album that I think people won’t be expecting. It’s a different sound for me.”
“And there’s more of a narrative happening, like real-life experiences and such. My daughter’s mentioned in there a few times,” Malik added, referring to Khai, 3, whom he shares with ex Gigi Hadid.
Malik’s last single, “Love Like This,” debuted in July 2023, marking his first release in two years and his debut under Mercury Records.
His previous album, “Nobody Is Listening,” was released in 2021. His debut album, “Mind of Mine,” came out in 2016, followed by “Icarus Falls” in 2018.