ZAYN
Konnakol (Mercury)
Konnakol, the fifth mononymous solo album from Zayn Malik, feels like an older, wiser sibling to his 2016 debut Mind Of Mine. Exploring where he’s come from, where he is and where he’s going, a confident, curious and fearless energy shift in Zayn seems to have him moving away from second-guessing himself, leaning into his genius and truly trusting his instincts as an artist.
Drawing from the ancient South Asian tradition of making percussive sounds with the voice that the album is named after, heritage weaves a sonic texture with modern production effortlessly. Vocally, Zayn shines throughout the project, with the use of his Bradford accent in Like I Have You another welcome showcase of his signature identity.
Tracks glide from the sultry pulse of Loving The Way I Do to the euphoric, heritage-filled endorphin rush of Fatal and an experimental 5th Element that scratches an itch so well. With maturity, awareness and self-assuredness brings a no-skip, conceptually beautiful, wonderfully curated and cohesive body of work that will likely realise itself to its fullest extent in the live context on Zayn’s upcoming tour.
words JOSEPH ELIJAH
