By Mahnoosh Arsalan
Staff Writer
Heavy bass, pop beats and echoey, high-pitch vocals, Zayn takes a trip back to 2018 with his latest album “KONNAKOL.” Released on April 17, “KONNAKOL” is Zayn’s fifth studio album, followed by his 2024 album “ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS.”
Zayn’s music has stayed relatively consistent throughout his career. Each album contains similar instrumentation, allowing listeners to know exactly what they’re getting themselves into. With this commonality, it can be tiring to be a consistent listener. But, something that stands out in every album is his powerhouse voice. Whether it’s a belt or a whisper, Zayn’s voice carries his albums.
The album begins with “Nusrat,” an homage to the iconic Pakistani singer-songwriter Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Khan is famously known for pioneering a specific kind of sound within Pakistani music, involving shaky belting and controlled yet chaotic riffs. Khan was also known for his Qawwali songs, usually about expressing devotion to love and God. Zayn’s vocals on this album clearly take inspiration from Khan, and his beat-poetry-like lyricism takes inspiration from Qawwali.
Following “Nusrat” comes “Betting Folk” and “Used to the Blues,” two completely aesthetically opposing songs. “Betting Folk” is a soft, melancholic anecdote on losing a lover. “Used to the Blues” holds that pain but mourns with heavy beats and rocky, autotuned vocals. The two tracks mirror one another, one representing the initial sadness and the other representing the heavy rebound.
“Sideways,” the fourth track of the album, is gaining a lot of popularity. This track reminisces about a lover, recalling intimate moments between the two, highlighting the pain he felt on the previous two songs. Zayn is nostalgic over his past relationship, missing and mourning.
Following “Sideways” is “5th Element,” a track highlighting the unique yet universal feeling after losing his love. This kind of heartbreak is completely new and unheard of to Zayn, as though it is a fifth element. He’s overwhelmed by this new feeling, pouring it all out into a lightly-sung, soft beat song.
“Prayers” switches up the energy of the previous song, standing as a complete rebound from “Sideways.” After experiencing such heartache, it’s time to get back out there. This could be the start of a new love or a temporary fix. “Side Effects” immediately follows the song into this communication between the two, potentially making this newfound connection something deeper. Zayn uses this song as a disclaimer, letting his new love know exactly what they’re getting themselves into, almost like a warning. “Met Tonight” reverses these complicated feelings and puts Zayn back on the rebound path.
“Fatal” stands out from the other songs, a more succinct trap beat with traditional Pakistani-inspired chant in the backing vocals. The chant translates to “we will forget all the memories.” This song highlights the denial one faces when seeing their ex-lover living their best life, realizing the memories of them may be washing away.
“Take Turns” follows a similar pattern to his previous tracks on rebounding, but following that is “Blooming,” a new look at Zayn self-reflecting post-heartbreak and rebound. Asking the question “when life falls to ruins is it dying or blooming?” Zayn begins the tumultuous yet necessary journey of self-discovery. “Like I Have You” highlights Zayn’s sense of projection in the broken relationship, blaming certain behaviors on his ex-lover. Standing his ground, he takes pride in the fact that he once had someone. Then, “Loving The Way I Do” becomes another track on self reflection. He sits with this idea that the way he loves is unique and won’t change. He won’t stop loving the way he does, despite the messiness and destructiveness of it.
“Breathe” includes Zayn’s belting-whispy voice, a ballad on finding his inner peace and wanting to share it with someone else. The album closes with “Die For Me,” a final song about the broken pieces of his relationship. He highlights his broken trust after such a daunting betrayal, his powerful vocals and loud bass connect the listeners with his intense emotions.
The word “Konnakol” means to make vocal drums. Rhythmically sounding out percussion, it is a South Indian classical art form. Zayn’s “KONNAKOL” didn’t necessarily have that aspect within each track, nor did most tracks contain a radiant sense of culture he raved about in interviews. The album felt more like a breakup record, followed by themes of mental illness and the idea of self-help.
Additionally, the album was sonically similar to his previous work and was released very soon after his other recent album, not letting either record shine on its own.
It will be exciting to see how Zayn’s next project differs from his catalogue, since music is a fluid, never-static art form.
