Zayn expands reinvented sound in smashing debut album

MALIK. First male UK solo artist to debut at No. 1.

Zayn Malik’s debut album, “Mind of Mine,” bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, as the former boy band member continues to expand his “reinvented” sound with an accessible fusion that is as ravishing as it is indicative of the musical growth he has evinced since he parted ways with One Direction.

Even as it is anchored on a predominantly R&B sensibility, Zayn’s repertoire is a merry mix of pop, soul, hip-hop, funk, EDM and a smattering of reggae. He even revisits his roots by singing and chanting Qawwali-style in “Flower,” about growing up a Pakistani Muslim in the United Kingdom.

But, other songs like the musical prologue, “Mind of Mine,” and the sexy dance number, “Lucozade,” also benefit from his influences in eastern music.

The 23-year-old “X Factor” alumnus refuses to put labels on his music, however—all he knows, he says, is that he’s ready to spread his wings.

He explained to The Fader, “It doesn’t fit a specific genre. I don’t really know what my style is yet. I’m just showing what my influences are.”

And those influences are making his songs easy for his followers to groove to, like the Justin Timberlake-channeling “BeFour,” the scorching No. 1 single, “Pillowtalk,” “Truth” and the “Bieberesque” ditty, “She Don’t Love Me,” a bonus cut in the album’s deluxe edition.

The pounding and popping instrumentation of “Rear View” will remind you of Coldplay’s recent foray into dance music.

You need not just dance to relish the musical thrills Zayn’s repertoire has to offer, though: “It’s You,” “Blue” and “Fool for You” are ballads that allow Malik to garnish them with his hefty falsetto.

And if you think Malik has had it with collaborations after 1D, he disproves that notion with “Wrong,” his sassy midtempo duet with R&B songstress Kehlani—about a man and a woman’s contrasting views on love, sex and romance!