#REALME: Zayn’s Mind of Mine for his Individuality and British-Pakistani Muslim Identity
Zayn Malik’s long-anticipated debut album Mind of Mine is the culmination of years of repressed creativity; after five years as a part of a highly manufactured unit, it is clear that his aim is to share his own artistic vision. His powerhouse voice was always prominent on One Direction songs, and this album employs it to its full potential. Not only is this record a display of his talent, but also of his ardent desire to express his individuality. In nearly every interview he has given since leaving 1D, he has stressed the importance of how personal his music is to him. His obsession with total creative authority and authenticity is no surprise considering he says he “didn’t have any creative input” in the group. Furthermore, he makes no attempt to erase his half-Pakistani Muslim heritage, instead including an Urdu song on his album and discussing the topic during interviews.
The former boybander’s debut solo effort features atmospheric contemporary R&B. Grammy Award winning producer Malay Ho (of Channel Orange fame) melds elements of disco, alternative, funk, and electronic music that replace the stadium rock backings of 1D’s pop offerings. The music draws inspiration from classic rock artists like Billy Joel and The Beatles (“fOoL fOr YoU”) and R&B influences like Prince, Michael Jackson, R. Kelly, Chris Brown, D’Angelo, The Weeknd, and Frank Ocean. Far from having a neatly packaged cohesive vibe, Zayn describes the album as “sporadic … like a brainstorm”. Cali sounds seeps through the album, but not so much in the form of sunny beach days as moody city nights full of kush clouds. “BRIGHT” melds Kendrick Lamar and Anderson Paak; “sHe” and “BoRdErSz” are groovy and distant; “TiO” is slow burning and sexy; “dRuNk” smoothly pours into your ears atop a hazy beat. As far as R&B based pop goes, Mind of Mine doesn’t seem to be particularly groundbreaking; its title reflects the fact that it encapsulates Zayn’s influences. Although it’s clear he’s the sum of these influences, his unique persona manages to shine through the record.
Sonically, Mind of Mine is a large departure from the music Zayn was making with One Direction. Whereas in the band’s discography you’d have to dig to find some melisma at the end of “She’s Not Afraid”, and you’ll hear a scrap of soul at the end of “They Don’t Know About Us”, Zayn shows off powerful runs and falsettos all throughout Mind of Mine. His enunciation is slurred at times and his vocal power is seemingly effortless, but it’s taken five years of training to reach this level. Listening to Zayn’s shakier old R&B covers reveals his longtime passion for the genre, and his diligence in improving vocally.
No discussion of Mind of Mine is complete without reference to Zayn’s past with 1D. A comprehensive understanding of the record requires basic understanding of the 23-year-old himself and his growth as an artist. The lack of knowledge in regards to his background is apparent in some reviews that confuse Urdu as being associated with Zayn’s religion as opposed to his half-Pakistani roots, or the referral to it as a Middle Eastern language when it is, in fact, South Asian. This confusion is part of the lingering effects of the identity erasure that Zayn experienced as a part of 1D. Additionally, he claims that the stifling of his musical individuality was one of the main reasons he left the band: “It was about denying the authenticity of who I was, and what I enjoyed about music … success follows authenticity”. In essence, this is what went wrong with 1D: the focus on constantly churning out profitable product lead to short-lived success. Mediocre singles and music videos were presented to the general public while gems like “What a Feeling” were ignored, thereby disregarding the fans’ craving for artistic authenticity. The band provided albums annually in attempt to serve rapid consumption culture, but many fans prefer waiting longer for a solid record paired with thoughtful promotion and impressive visuals as opposed to consuming less reflective products.
Although the indisputable impact of his vocals makes up for any faltering lyrics, innuendo is an area Zayn could improve in. He might be tired of being indirect thanks to the PG-13 lyrics he was singing with 1D - he says he is “not censoring [himself] anymore” - but more nuanced lyrics would better serve his mature artistic approach. Comparing “fucking” to a “warzone” on “PILLOWTALK” isn’t the best analogy, and the sexual symbolism of the song’s music video (e.g. Georgia O’Keeffe reminiscent flowers representing vaginas) was too overt. If one of the aims of Mind of Mine is to showcase Zayn’s unique personality, he must be wary of the fact that repression can lead to overindulgence. This album allowed him to get his desire to create a lot of stoner R&B out of his system, and demonstrates potential for further artistic growth. The singer already has a massive fanbase; he doesn’t need to worry about appealing to audiences and he has expressed his lack of desire to do so, but this album still has an easy to digest feel to it. The fact that “fLoWer” is among the high points of the record demonstrates that the incorporation of more Desi music influence could meld really well with his R&B approach. He has the capacity to help revolutionize Western music with the inclusion of his heritage. Unlike many Western based artists before him who have drawn from Eastern cultures, he is reaching inwards as opposed to outwards for inspiration - Urdu music and the language itself is something he has grown up with.
Many reviews of Zayn’s debut write off his lyrics because of how sexually saturated some of them are. They point out how much he sings about sex without consideration of how heavily his R&B peers reflect on the same topic, or of his commentary on the complexities of relationships. It is tempting to follow the narrative of portraying him as a tryhard teen idol attempting to seem grown up, but this kind of analysis does not do justice to a complex public figure. The music he is making now isn’t an attempt to cater to trends, more so a reflection of his actual preferences: he did more than enough mercenary work for pop during his time in the band. Zayn is not so much reinventing himself as he is revealing his true self; the self that was hidden behind pop rock beats and his silence in interviews during his five years with 1D.
Incorporating any R&B influences in 1D’s heavily classic rock influenced pop hits was difficult enough for Zayn despite the other boys’ efforts to accommodate him, so including Urdu singing likely would have been impossible. Given the reigns to creative control, Zayn offers an intermission track titled “fLoWer” that is sung entirely in Urdu. It is one of the standout tracks on the album, a hauntingly beautiful piece with an improvisational, unfinished feel to it. Only 104 seconds long, the song leaves you craving more insight into the intangibly pure realm it approaches. According to Malay the song comes from “a super spiritual place”, and it reflects Zayn’s value for his relationship with his father and the rest of his family. Zayn’s Urdu lyrics in “fLoWer” reflect the growing globalization of postmodern pop. In a world wherein K-pop music has been enthralling Western audiences with growing popularity, and French and Spanish lyrics are often incorporated into English songs, Urdu singing is likely a new introduction to the ears of many R&B listeners. It doesn’t just hint at his half-Pakistani culture; it is an overt embracement of it, and an invitation for others to explore it too. It emphasizes individuality as opposed to blending in the way Zayn had to as a part of a monolithic boyband.
While growing up, people of mixed backgrounds or people of colour in largely white communities often feel a sense of alienation. Zayn admitted that this distance was “something that [he] always felt” when he was younger, but he has clearly moved past this stage of uncertainty. He expresses pride in his Asian heritage, and his young fans aspire to his sense of self-assuredness. Hearing Urdu on a mainstream English album was a hugely pleasant surprise. If a few seconds of him speaking Urdu and Arabic was enough to thrill multilingual fans, then “fLoWer” was an absolute godsend - it’s elicited proud reactions from Desi fans. The singer is well aware of his following; he told The FADER he “enjoyed that [he] brought the diversity” to his former band, and shared with Complex that “a lot of [his] fans are from a Desi background and they’re massively supportive, and they see something of themselves in him”. Because of this, “fLoWer” is a crucial intermission track; far from being an insignificant bridge, it is a structural beam without which the meaning of the album could collapse. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Zayn take this kind of interaction with his heritage further in the future by collaborating with Desi musicians, or perhaps even starring in a Bollywood film.
In many ways, Mind of Mine is an exploration of Zayn’s upbringing. The “BeFoUr” music video, filmed in Manchester’s dingy Miles Platting district, features Zayn and some pals chilling out and lighting shit on fire. Unlike 1D’s “we’re just normal guys” mantra that catered to their “not like the other boybands” image, this humble visual approach is a reflection on Zayn’s past. He claims he’s never actually set fire to cars as the video stunts depict, but this combustion could reflect the internal conflict he experienced in his youth. In an interview with NME, Zayn mentioned being affected by comments people made, specifically citing “racial confusion” as the reason he found himself in unfavourable situations. He has moved on from being so affected by such issues, but his discussion of it is a source of comfort for fans who still struggle with racial or religious identity.
With the release of Mind of Mine and his activities since leaving the band, Zayn’s status of influence continues to grow. Although he still (understandably) doesn’t want to delve too deep into cultural or political questions, positive dialogue in regards to his culture has increased as it is not avoided in interviews, and people reviewing his album are conscious of it. Zayn’s platform affords him the opportunity to put minorities on the map, so it’s cool to see the representation of people of colour and women in his band that backs Mind of Mind and his live performances. He has also maintained his pride in his religion despite the rising climate of Islamophobia in the West and the judgment that even the Islamic community inflicts on him.
Zayn doesn’t care if you don’t vibe with Mind of Mine because it’s been perfectly crafted to serve his own tastes. The timing of the album’s release was infuriating for 1D diehards who have yet to come to terms with the band’s (unconfirmed) demise, but the cathartic symbolism of such a drop pairs perfectly with the work’s underlying messages about breaking free. He’s presented a record that both he and his audience love, and that displays the potential for further fascinating artistic development. He’s been restricted by racial discrimination, genre conventions, and marginalizing management teams, but post-1D Zayn refuses to let anyone label him.
