ZAYN releases his second album; Icarus Falls, after breaking off of One Direction

Former One Direction star ZAYN dropped his second album, Icarus Falls, on Dec. 14, 2018. This new album contains 27 brilliant tracks adding up to almost 90 minutes of music featuring guest stars Nicki Minaj and Timbaland. ZAYN debuts at number 61 on Billboard’s top 200. Overall, I love the thought put into this album.

His solo debut, “Let Me”, premiered at number 73 on Billboard’s top 100 on Apr. 28, 2018. It is a song anyone can vibe to no matter what mood they’re in; it’s the most popular track on the album, debuting at number 73 on Billboard’s top 100. The soothing yet upbeat track introduces you to ZAYN’s vocal range and profound lyrics.

In comparison to ZAYN’s first album, Icarus Falls is not nearly as successful, but still has time to peak. Despite the album’s disappointing numbers, personally I love almost every song on the album and find his songs to be soothing, but also something to dance to.

The songs that stood out to me in particular were “Back to Life” and “There You Are”. “Back to Life” starts off with soothing vocals, then transitions into a catchy snap, drum, and guitar combination. The vocal harmonies capture an unexplainable emotion that gave me chills. “There You Are” begins with an echo–like feel, then the drum beat and powerful vocals flow into the course and create rhythm that gets stuck in your head.

Icarus, in Greek mythology, is a young god who was warned by his father not to get too close to the Sun – or else his wax wings would melt – but despite his father’s warnings he flew too close to the Sun, his wings melted, and he fell to his death. This may be a reflection on how ZAYN is feeling about his music career. The specifics about the meaning are unknown but Icarus Falls has deep personal connections to ZAYN’s life regarding his journey of fame and anxiety; it reflects his path to becoming a solo-artist. The album is full of questions, regret, and reflection.!

Icarus Falls is a lyrically beautiful album, but it’s too lengthy; he should have released a few more as singles before the album, to get more hype. Overall, 12 of the 27 tracks made it onto my playlist during my review process; however, I found myself listening to Back to Life, There You Are, and Let Me the most. ZAYN clearly put a lot of thought and emotion into this intensely characteristic album.