''Nobody Is Listening'' is the third solo studio album by English singer-songwriter
Zayn. It was released on 15 January 2021 through
RCA Records
RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...
.
The album features guest appearances from
Syd and
Devlin Devlin may refer to:
* Devlin (surname)
* Devlin (given name)
* Devlin (rapper), a British rapper
* ''Devlin'' (TV series), a 1974 animated TV series by Hanna-Barbera
* ''Devlin'', a 1988 novel by Roderick Thorp
* ''The Devil and Max Devlin
'' ...
. It follows his previous album, ''
Icarus Falls
''Icarus Falls'' is the second solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Zayn. It was released on 14 December 2018, as a double album by RCA Records.
Originally planned for 2017, the album was delayed so that Zayn could focus on the aesthe ...
'', which was released in late 2018. The album was preceded by the release of the singles "
Better" and "
Vibez". Upon release, ''Nobody Is Listening'' received generally favorable reviews from critics; the album peaked at number 44 on the US
''Billboard'' 200 and number 17 on the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
.
Background
The album's artwork is designed by Zayn himself and is inspired by
expressionism
Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...
and
graffiti
Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...
.
The cover was revealed on his website along with the CD pre-order on 8 January 2021.
The album was supported by the singles "
Better" and "
Vibez". The album contains eleven tracks including the two singles. Zayn said to have "total creative rein" on the project, as well as "making the music he has always wanted to".
In an interview with ''Entertainment Daily'', Zayn described the album as his "most personal project to date".
Critical reception
The album holds an aggregate score of 63 out of 100 on
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
based on nine reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
Dhruva Balram of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' wrote that the album "has its flaws" and that it "doesn’t add many new colours to his palette" but complimented it for being "wrenchingly intimate and sweetly playful" and "quietly purposeful pop" and that it is "a step in a new and fresh direction for the enigmatic artist".
Writing for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'', Brittany Spanos felt that Malik "found his sweet spot" with the record, naming "Tightrope" and "River Road" as "two of Malik's best songs to date".
Jem Aswad of ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' named the album "concise and to the point" and felt that it "clears the table for whatever might be coming next".
Malvika Padin of ''
Clash'' felt that the record "indicates that he’s achieved some sort of clarity on the direction he wants to take as a solo artist" although she felt that it had "minimal production and few moments of experimentation" that "only offers negligible glimpses into Zayn’s personality".
Kitty Empire of ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' felt that Malik sounds "freer than ever before" while naming his voice "assuredly elastic", feeling that "the songs suit him more and more" and that he "keeps refining"; she felt the record as a whole was an improvement over ''
Icarus Falls
''Icarus Falls'' is the second solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Zayn. It was released on 14 December 2018, as a double album by RCA Records.
Originally planned for 2017, the album was delayed so that Zayn could focus on the aesthe ...
''.
Writing for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
, Neil Yeung felt that the album was "a logical turn" and "moving closer toward heartfelt love songs instead of exaggerated playboy fantasies" while naming it his "most mature album to date."
Craig Jenkins of ''
Vulture
A vulture is a bird of prey that scavenges on carrion. There are 23 extant species of vulture (including Condors). Old World vultures include 16 living species native to Europe, Africa, and Asia; New World vultures are restricted to North and ...
'' wrote that Malik's "solo career still makes no sense, yet the intrigue remains earned" while calling him "a stronger man for his efforts, however seemingly minimal," ending his review by opining that his "way to write songs that leans into the strength of his voice and speaks coolly and quietly to the ups and downs of a high-profile romance will suffice." Sheldon Pearce of ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'' opined that "his music has often felt a bit forced" but felt that "he finally taps into something more natural: sophisticated, largely atmospheric pop that simmers like quiet-storm R. & B."
In a less positive review, Alexandra Pollard of ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' opined the album as "a blancmange of watered-down R&B" and felt that it lacked personality. She went on to write that "the lyrics feel insultingly half-arsed" and that he "doesn't do it
is voice
In linguistics, a copula (plural: copulas or copulae; abbreviated ) is a word or phrase that links the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, such as the word ''is'' in the sentence "The sky is blue" or the phrase ''was not being'' i ...
justice here".
Kate Solomon of ''
The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' felt the album lacked personality while writing that "he has nothing mature to say" and "fails to make the most of his talents".
Writing for ''
The Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format.
In October 2009, after be ...
'', David Smyth felt that the record included "largely hazy, stoned R&B, offering blurred textures and smoky atmospheres but few standout moments" and that he "may not be sustainable unless the music speaks a little louder"; he did, however, compliment Malik's voice, writing that it was "undoubtable that his vocal ability was wasted on One Direction’s primary-coloured pop."
Louise Bruton of ''
The Irish Times
''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...
'' wrote that Malik "has now found his niche in lo-fi R&B-pop that’s intentionally made without any aim at all."
Dani Blum, writing for ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', called the album a "low bar he congratulates himself for clearing—knowing that no matter what he sings, legions of fans will listen" and felt that "he’s never sounded like this much of an amateur" while naming the songs "blathering and diluted, a derivation of a derivation.
Writing for ''
Renowned for Sound
''Renowned for Sound'' is an Australian online magazine
An online magazine is a magazine published on the Internet, through bulletin board systems and other forms of public computer networks. One of the first magazines to convert from a pri ...
'', Angus Whitfield felt that the album "might have had more weight, importance and potential relatability" if it had focused more on "his struggle with fame and mental health" as opposed to "love making and smoking weed." He complimented tracks like "Outside" and "When Love's Around" (calling Syd's feature "welcome and warming") but criticized "Vibez" as "boring and repetitive" and disliked Devlin's "aggressive rapping" in "Windowsill".
Track listing
Notes
*
signifies an additional producer
*
signifies a co-producer
* "Tightrope" interpolates "
Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho", written by
Ravi Sharma
Ravi Shankar Sharma (3 March 1926 – 7 March 2012), often referred to mononymously as Ravi, was an Indian music director, who had composed music for several Hindi and Malayalam films. After a successful career in Hindi cinema, he took a brea ...
and performed by
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi (24 December 1924 – 31 July 1980) was an Indian playback singer and musician. He is considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers of the Indian subcontinent. Rafi was notable for his versatility and ...
Personnel
Performers
* Philip von Buch Scully – guitar, percussion,
programming (2)
* Nick Green –
drum machine (5)
*
Dave Rosser
Dave Rosser was an American rock guitarist known for his work for the Afghan Whigs, who he joined in 2014. He played guitar on their albums ''Do to the Beast'' and '' In Spades''. Previously, he was a member of the Gutter Twins and the Twilight Si ...
– guitar, synthesizer (5)
* Alex Oriet – drums, guitar, keyboards, programming (7, 9)
* David Phelan – drums, guitar, keyboards, programming (7, 9)
* David Ryan Harris – programming (10)
Technical
* Denis Kosiak – mixing
* Jon Castelli – mixing
*
Dale Becker – mastering
* Josh Deguzman – engineering
* Nicky Davey – engineering (5)
* Alex Oriet – engineering (7, 9)
* David Phelan – engineering (7, 9)
* David Harris – engineering (10)
* Henrique Andrade – recording (2–5, 8, 10–11)
* Hector Vega – assistant engineering (2, 6)
Charts
Release history
References
{{Authority control
2021 albums
RCA Records albums
Zayn Malik albums