Zayn Malik is back — and yes, he’s gone country.
After fans speculated that Malik, 31, was ditching his pop and R&B sound for something more folksy, the former One Direction member kicked off his new era on Friday, March 15, with the release of “What I Am.” The new single comes days after he announced that his fourth solo album, Room Under the Stairs, will arrive on May 17.
With a low-key vibe featuring guitars, pianos and drums, Malik’s new song sees him sing about how he’s been “readin’ old s–t and I can’t make sense of it.” He adds that there’s “no conspiracy that can save me” and “livin’ in the moment feels good to me till it hurts and I need somebody.”
“If I told you I loved you / Would you say that it’s f–ked up?” he asks in the chorus. “If I told you they’rе flyin’ / Would you say that you looked up? Don’t take me for what I’m sayin’ / Just takе me for what I am / ‘Cause this is where I’m stayin’ / My two feet are in the sand.”
“What I Am” is a departure from the techno production of his prior single, “Love Like This.” Released in July 2023, the song featured a sparse drum-and-bass sound, putting his AutoTuned vocals in the forefront. Though the song failed to chart on the Billboard Hot 100, it reached No. 26 on the U.K. Singles Chart. The accompanying video has racked up 18 million views in the seven months since its release.
Malik revealed the title and artwork of Room Under the Stars on Wednesday, March 13. The blueprint-inspired artwork shows a house being constructed in the countryside, with the aforementioned room being a studio oasis from the outside world. Two guitars are visible in this titular room, indicating a shift in genre for the former boy bander.
Fans speculated Malik was pivoting to a new genre when Grammy-winning country music producer Dave Cobb spoke with Rolling Stone about working with Malik on his new album. “What got me about Zayn was his voice, you can hear love, loss, pain, triumph and humanity in it,” said Cobb, who coproduced Room Under the Stairs.
“Zayn has really created his own universe on this record,” Cobb added. “He really has no fear and is speaking straight from his soul.”
In 2023, Malik appeared on the “Call Her Daddy” podcast to say that he was doing a music project that his fans weren’t really “gonna expect” because it had “a different sound for me.”
“And it’s got some more narrative going on, like real-life experiences and stuff,” he continued. “My daughter’s mentioned in there a couple of times.” Malik shares 3-year-old Khai with his ex Gigi Hadid.
Malik’s last album was 2021’s Nobody Is Listening. Later that year, he shared Yellow Tape, a rap-inspired project. Instead of going through the normal steaming route, Malik shared a Dropbox link with fans.
