Review Summary: Believe me, we know what you are thinking about alright.
Watching the departure of certain members of certain boy bands have always been a call to criticism, or even to the bafflement of some. Especially when you see either one of themselves' potential shine despite either by lead, or creeping through the shadows. The choice to leave for a solo career has often been an otherwise successful move, such as for Justin Timberlake of NSYNC* fame, or Robbie Williams during the Take That days just as they were on the pedestal of their success - charting immense number one singles in their respective countries. When it comes to one of the members of undoubtedly the biggest pop band in the world in One Direction, that sets a precedent for widespread potential. That has already been the case for Zayn, preferring to keep his last name redacted for his stage name - who's already blown up the first moment he left 1D and become one of the wide stream names in pop. However, has his lauding attention been reason to hype up and brace for his mysterious debut, "Mind Of Mine", with a "boom or bust" scenario on the horizon? I think not.
Decisions to change sound, as was the case with Timberlake and Williams, are and were often more eloquent and gratified more of a modernized, polished tone than the poppy, cringeworthy vibes of their past. Zayn has taken a similar avenue, with the conjuring of both darker electronic aesthetics with mystical adult contemporary to create in his eyes, his own distinctive music formula. The unfortunate perspective in this, is that there's is almost none of that "distinctive" nor revolutionary flavor in which Zayn brings to the table, minus the overload of sensuality and self-centered rationale that clouds the album itself. In the emotive, clean-cut "Like I Would", his primitive vocals yearn abound starry, sparkling synths and spacey bass, arising of his ex of the past, Perrie Williams of the girly Little Mix, as well as a clear diss to his former 1D bandmates for their subjective musical preferences in their material. The evident message was sent where Zayn, as he stated before, "wanted to make music that [is] cool s***" - however it felt completely bungled, unexpected, and irrational with his cold-hearted attitude that clogs the stingy atmosphere. Ironic, considering while his band counterparts are certainly taking the corny, generic road in which he's called out professionally on, he's the one also partaking in the same. It's only enhanced more sexually and steamy, like a scolding sauna.
The irrationality in which exists with this lust-filled vibrance, in instances, are very intense, overwhelming, yet truly gives an insight to the purpose of what this album is, which focuses primarily on his current mind state of today with what has transpired over the past year. One of those instances ironically leak from the gauging, raging "PILLOWTALK" - a colorful, lucrative scope into, what Zayn referred to as "a paradise and war zone", the pros and cons of sex. While on a lyrical level it devils in really deep, and in moments graphically even where it feels un-natural, his bursting vocals resonate beautifully upon the weightless bass and transfusing, glowing synth lines that welter through the futuristic, devilish composition. It's one of those songs where you see Zayn come into his own, despite the misty overtones existent in the essence of this composition, where you would hope would be further replicated - and fortunately it is facilitated a bit. On the cool, dim "iT's YoU", he dives into a more innocent, vulnerable discussion of the confusions he's dealt with over the past year. Shimmering with a single, shivering synth line that roars like a European organ, and quiet, somber bass, it's his version of a R&B ballad that's glazed with glitz and glamour - ignited by his seasoned vocals. It continues to further extradite from the 1D sound and immigrate down towards more darker, ominous R&B compositions that are almost reminiscent of Malay's during his work with Frank Ocean, a fitting scheme for Zayn. The fortunate situation is that the potential is there, and it's given a bright light in quite a bit of instances - it's just so inconsistent where it is labeled more of a "hit-or-miss" scenario.
Robbed by the sheer inconsistency that impacts "Mind Of Mine", it gives Zayn's first attempt at taking things by himself rather than with his former band members a less-than-stellar outlook. Fortunately, there's a great deal of glimmering sparks that is let loose by both his fiery, fuzzy vocals and the sublime, pulsing compositions that accompany in its realm. What you're receiving is a side of Malik that we haven't seen prior before, the uncensored version of himself and his mind, as he has dubbed it. The creativity exists, he just hasn't extracted it enough yet to consistently blast exotic, mysterious yet evocative music on a regular basis. It isn't the overload of lustful sexuality and lack of sensitivity either, it's just heightened a little over-the-top and can be a little bit too braggadocio. This is like the introduction to the circus, a spectrum full of surprises and with awe, except the smoky generator didn't spew off and brought the party all down on himself. That in a nutshell currently, is the brand spankin' new Zayn ascending from those banners, confounding and withering like a royal coronation - except the roaring crowd goes away underwhelmed and confused.
