Zayn has rediscovered his zeal for the spotlight. Case in point his dapper turn in the latest issue of Billboard magazine.
The former One Direction member set the world ablaze early last year with ‘Pillow Talk’ but quickly learned of the pitfalls of fame when admitted anxiety rendered him unable to perform live.
Having worked through those issues, he’s gearing up for the release of his sophomore album – and is even mapping out a major world tour.
Head below for more…
Excerpt On LP:
The new album, says Malik, mines two main moods: one more rhythmic and pop, the other more downtempo. “The last album veered into a much more nighttime kind of thing,” says Peter Edge, chairman/CEO of Malik’s label, RCA. “This one is more of a mix than that.” The young star has been back in the studio with his first album’s main collaborator, Malay, well known for his work on Frank Ocean’s Channel Orange and Blonde. Veteran producers like Timbaland and Rob Cavallo have contributed, and Malik also has made a bunch of songs largely by himself. He has been toiling away at the disc for months, blowing past deadline after deadline; originally slated for a late-September release, the album now won’t be out until the first quarter of 2018.
Zayn On What Caused His Initial Anxiety:
“Like, there were a lot of upbeat dance [songs on the album], and I don’t dance, so it would have required a lot of extra dancers and stuff going on, and I don’t necessarily want to do that.”
Zayn On How New Material Helped Cure His Issues:
“It definitely helped identify in my own mind where I want to be as an entertainer. For a long time I’ve struggled with, ‘Where is Zayn as a performer?’ I don’t want [my show] to be too eccentric or out there, because I’m not that kind of personality. I’m quite a reserved person, and I feel like [the vibe of that session] sort of fits me and what I want to do onstage.”