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Icarus Falls

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Icarus Falls
File:Zayn Malik– Icarus Falls.png
Studio album by
Released14 December 2018 (2018-12-14)[1]
Genre
Length88:27
LabelRCA
Producer
Zayn Malik chronology
Mind of Mine
(2016)
Icarus Falls
(2018)
Singles from Icarus Falls
  1. "Let Me"
    Released: 12 April 2018
  2. "Entertainer"
    Released: 23 May 2018
  3. "Sour Diesel"
    Released: 18 July 2018
  4. "Too Much"
    Released: 2 August 2018
  5. "Fingers"
    Released: 18 October 2018
  6. "No Candle No Light"
    Released: 16 November 2018

Icarus Falls is the second studio album by English singer and songwriter Zayn Malik, released on 14 December 2018 by RCA Records.[4] The album was preceded by the release of six singles: "Let Me", "Entertainer", "Sour Diesel", "Too Much", "Fingers" and "No Candle No Light".[5]

Background

Originally scheduled for release in September 2017, the album would include Timbaland as one of its producers. He said "What impresses me about Zayn is the vision he has for his music." Zayn stated that the album is "90 percent completed".[6] The CEO of RCA Records Peter Edge said the album consist of a "more optimistic tone to it after coming through that more challenging time", referring to Zayn's time as a member of One Direction in his early career.[7] Speaking about why the album has delayed since late 2017, Zayn said:

Every day I find another song that I'm swapping out with another one. That's why the album date hasn’t really come yet. Even though the album is pretty much there, and I have the material, I'm still changing things here and there.[8][9][10]

On Instagram, Zayn revealed snippets of clips from the album, captioned with "Taster z2".[11]

Release and promotion

The album's release was confirmed on 29 November 2018.[12]

Singles

"Let Me" was released on 12 April 2018 as the lead single from the album[13] and peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.[14] "Entertainer" was released as the album's second single on 23 May[15] and peaked at number 95 in the UK.[14] "Sour Diesel" was released as the album's third single on 18 July.[16] "Too Much" featuring Timbaland was released as the album's fourth single on 2 August[17] and charted at number 79 in the UK.[14] "Fingers" was released as the album's fifth single on 18 October[18] and "No Candle No Light" featuring Nicki Minaj was released as the album's sixth single on 15 November.[19]

Promotional singles

"Rainberry" was released as the album's first promotional single on 30 November 2018 after the album became available to pre-order on iTunes.[20][failed verification] On 6 December, the song "Good Years" was released as the second promotional single.[21][failed verification] "There You Are" was released on 12 December as the third promotional single from the album.[22][23][failed verification]

Other songs

"Still Got Time" featuring PartyNextDoor was released as a single on 24 March 2017 and peaked at number 24 on the UK Singles Chart.[14] "Dusk Till Dawn" featuring Sia was released on 7 September 2017 and peaked at number 5 on the UK Singles Chart.[14] These songs were included only on the Japanese edition of the album.

A music video for "Satisfaction", directed by Bouha Kazmi, was released on 9 January 2019. It follows the story of a romance that is plagued by the hardships of war.[24]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.2/10[26]
Metacritic69/100[25]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
Clash7/10[27]
Consequence of SoundC+[28]
The Independent[29]
NME[30]
Now[31]
The Observer[32]
Pitchfork6.4/10[3]
Slant Magazine[33]

The album holds an aggregate score of 69 out of 100 on Metacritic based on eight reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[25] Entertainment Tonight called it "one of the best records of the year."[34] Helen Brown of The Independent stated that, with "his maturing soulful falsetto, melismatic yearnings that check his heritage, and muzzy, midnight mutterings", listeners "following the shining thread of Malik's voice will be led through winding passages of hope, dope, seduction and evasion."[29] Madison Spira of Who gave the album a positive review, stating that it is "different to anything we've seen from Zayn before, and that's what makes this album so beautiful" and there "are so many songs I'm convinced most people will relate to on a personal level."[35] Dhruva Balram of NME called it a "27-track mosaic to be poured over time and again" where Zayn "really strikes upon his potential."[30] Rea McNamara of Now gave it a "great" rating of 4 out of 5, praising how "Zayn grapples with toxic masculinity" and how it "reminds us that sometimes life's lows help us appreciate love's highs".[31] Malvika Padin of Clash gave it a favourable review, calling it a "relentlessly creative" album that "begins the journey to realising his full potential".[27]

Neil Yeung of AllMusic stated that, with "his gorgeous voice and a batch of irresistibly seductive gems, he approaches greatness" but criticised the length, concluding that it "deserves some attention if there's time and patience to spare."[2] Maura Johnston of Pitchfork gave it a favourable review, stating that, while long, it as a fine "high-concept pop album" that "hinges on the idea of excess and its trickery" while referring to Zayn as "a skillful interpreter of pop" and "one of teen idoldom's most enigmatic artists."[3] Tara Joshi of The Observer gave it a favourable review, stating that, despite "the intimidating length", there is "plenty here to appreciate" such as vocals "pouring forth a gorgeous falsetto" and often channelling "melismatic Bollywood/qawwali-style singing", a "glossy production," and "a variety of styles", concluding that "Malik is defying expectations, remaining in ascent."[32] Consequence of Sound's Wren Graves gave it a mixed review, praising some of the songs and Zayn's vocals, but criticising it as a long "half-baked concept album" that is "repetitive and dull."[28] Pryor Stroud of Slant Magazine gave it a mixed review, calling it "bloated" and "forgettable, albeit expertly produced".[33]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Let Me"
  • Rohaim
  • MakeYouKnowLove
  • Sampson[c]
3:05
2."Natural"
  • Malik
  • Rohaim
  • M. Hannides
  • A. Hannides
  • Antonio "Dopamine" Zito
  • Rohaim
  • MakeYouKnowLove
  • Sampson[c]
3:13
3."Back to Life"
  • Malik
  • Alexander Oriet
  • David Phelan
  • Maxwell McElligott
Saltwives3:15
4."Common"
  • Rohaim
  • MakeYouKnowLove
3:52
5."Imprint"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
Saltwives3:10
6."Stand Still"
3:18
7."Tonight"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
  • Brandon Colbein
  • Katheryn Ostenberg
  • Jayson Warner[38]
Saltwives3:40
8."Flight of the Stars"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
  • James Norton
Saltwives3:20
9."If I Got You"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
  • Norton
Saltwives3:19
10."Talk to Me"Saltwives3:00
11."There You Are"
  • Malik
  • Levi Lennox
  • M. Hannides
  • A. Hannides
  • Joseph Garrett
3:19
12."I Don't Mind"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
  • Warner
Saltwives3:25
13."Icarus Interlude"
  • Malik
  • Matthew Kirkwood
Kirkwood4:01
14."Good Guy"
  • Andrade
  • Bursztyn[a]
2:34
15."You Wish You Knew"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
Saltwives3:25
16."Sour Diesel"
  • Malik
  • Ho
  • Robert Cavallo
4:03
17."Satisfaction"
  • Malik
  • Ho
Malay3:28
18."Scripted"
  • Malik
  • Ho
Malay3:41
19."Entertainer"
  • Malik
  • Andrade
  • Bursztyn
  • Iliana Nedialkova
  • Andrade
  • Bursztyn[a]
3:22
20."All That"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
Saltwives3:10
21."Good Years"
  • Malik
  • M. Hannides
  • A. Hannides
  • Rohaim
  • Crichlow[39]
  • Rohaim
  • MakeYouKnowLove
3:00
22."Fresh Air"
  • MakeYouKnowLove
  • Kiriakou
2:48
23."Rainberry"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
  • Norton
Saltwives2:51
24."Insomnia"
Saltwives2:55
25."No Candle No Light" (featuring Nicki Minaj)
3:15
26."Fingers"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
Saltwives2:51
27."Too Much" (featuring Timbaland)
3:07
Total length:88:27
Icarus Falls – Japanese edition bonus tracks[41]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Dusk Till Dawn" (featuring Sia)
Kurstin4:27
29."Still Got Time" (featuring PartyNextDoor)3:08
Total length:96:02

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies a co-producer
  • ^[c] signifies a vocal producer

Charts

Chart (2018–19) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[42] 60
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[43] 132
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[44] 187
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[45] 24
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[46] 26
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[47] 40
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[48] 31
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[49] 63
Irish Albums (IRMA)[50] 97
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[51] 145
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[52] 36
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[53] 35
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[54] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[55] 87
UK Albums (OCC)[56] 77
US Billboard 200[57] 61

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 14 December 2018 RCA [1]
United States 21 December 2018 CD [58]

References

  1. ^ a b "Icarus Falls by ZAYN MALIK on Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Yeung, Neil. "Icarus Falls – ZAYN". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Johnston, Maura (18 December 2018). "Zayn: Icarus Falls". Pitchfork. Retrieved 18 December 2018.
  4. ^ "Zayn Malik: Il Nuovo Album Si Intitolerebbe 'Icarus Falls' E Potrebbe Uscire a Dicembre" (in Italian). MTV. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  5. ^ Bajgrowicz, Brooke (29 November 2018). "Zayn Malik's Sophomore Album Gets a Title and Release Date". Billboard. Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Zayn says new album is '90% done', is working with Timbaland". MTV UK. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  7. ^ Kaufman, Gil (25 May 2017). "Zayn Malik's Second Album Has a 'More Optimistic Tone'". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  8. ^ Louise-Smith, Katie (21 February 2018). "Zayn New Album: Title, Release Date, Tracklist And Everything We Know So Far". PopBuzz. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  9. ^ Cooper, Duncan (8 September 2017). "Zayn Says He's Happy, Don't Worry". The Fader. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  10. ^ Britton, Luke (8 September 2017). "Zayn Malik teases release date and title of second album". NME. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  11. ^ Davies, Megan (22 February 2018). "Zayn Malik teases new music from his second album in Instagram videos". Digital Spy. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  12. ^ "ZAYN's confirms new album 'Icarus Falls': Songs, release date and collaborations". The Official Vodafone Big Top 40. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Let Me by Zayn". Tidal. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Zayn - full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
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  19. ^ "No Candle No Light by Zayn". Tidal. Retrieved 2 December 2018.
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  21. ^ Bajgrowicz, Brooke (6 December 2018). "Zayn's 'Good Years': Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 12 December 2018.
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  24. ^ "Zayn Debuts Striking 'Satisfaction' Video: Watch". Billboard. 9 January 2019.
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  27. ^ a b Padin, Malvika (20 December 2018). "ZAYN – Icarus Falls". Clash.
  28. ^ a b Graves, Wren (20 December 2018). "Zayn Bores with Half-Baked Concept Album Icarus Falls". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  29. ^ a b Brown, Helen (14 December 2018). "After slaying the 1D minotaur, Zayn Malik wanders around a labyrinth of murky R&B sounds on 'Icarus Falls' – review". The Independent.
  30. ^ a b Balram, Dhruva (17 December 2018). "Zayn Malik – 'Icarus Falls' review". NME. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
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