Thinking it would be a similar length to his 2016 debut, Mind of Mine, the first album he released following his exit from One Direction a year prior, I figured I could sift through the songs in under 30 minutes.
However, two minutes into 'Let Me'— the leading song, and my personal fave on the album— I quickly realisedMalik's follow up is unexpectedly long. Consisting of 27 songs, the moody album is nearly 90 minutes long. To put it into perspective, Pixar's hit flick 'Toy Story' is 81 minutes.
See, I wasn't kidding, it's an absolute beast!
The much-delayed sophomore album, which was originally scheduled to be released in September 2017, is soulful, melancholic, tender and deeply personal. Exploring the intricacies of stardom, you can't help but empathise with the pop star as he sings about the downfalls of fame, and the pressure he feels to live up to other people's expectations.
The first 12 tracks were no doubt written with his long-term girlfriend Gigi Hadid in mind. His beautifully written mid-tempo track, 'Common' appears to be an ode to the supermodel as he sings about their passionate love, inherent spiritual connection and desire to be together.
"I see all your flaws and imperfections/ but that's what makes me love you more," he sings. "This is something real/this is something right/never been in love/never felt at all until now."
It's worth finding time to listen to Icarus Falls and I suggest you give each song a chance to breathe. It's different to anything we've seen from Zayn before, and that's what makes this album so beautiful. He bares all, and perhaps his honesty is what I appreciate the most. There are so many songs I'm convinced most people will relate to on a personal level.
Here are my favourites from the dreamy new album: 'Let Me', 'Common', 'Talk To Me', 'Entertainer', 'Too Much', 'Fingers', 'Back To Life' and 'Tonight'.
