Icarus Falls

Icarus Falls is the second solo studio album by English singer and songwriter Zayn, released on 14 December 2018 as a double album by RCA Records. The album was preceded by the release of six singles: "Let Me", "Entertainer", "Sour Diesel", "Too Much", featuring Timbaland, "Fingers", and "No Candle No Light", featuring Nicki Minaj.[2]

Icarus Falls
Studio album by
Zayn
Released14 December 2018 (2018-12-14)[1]
Recorded2017 - 2018
Genre
Length96:22
LabelRCA
Producer
Zayn chronology
Mind of Mine
(2016)		 Icarus Falls
(2018)		 Nobody Is Listening
(2021)
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: 15 November 2018

Icarus Falls received generally positive reception from critics, and peaked at 61 on the US Billboard 200 and 77 on the UK Albums Chart. The Japanese version of the album features the previously released singles, "Still Got Time", featuring PartyNextDoor, and "Dusk Till Dawn", featuring Sia. In August 2020, Zayn added also "Still Got Time" featuring PartyNextDoor and "Dusk Till Dawn" featuring Sia to the album tracklist.

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".[3] 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.[4] 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.[5][6][7]

On Instagram, Zayn revealed snippets of clips from the album, captioned with "Taster z2".[8]

Composition

Icarus Falls is a concept album inspired by the Greek myth of Icarus, the man who flew too close to the sun.[9]

Release and promotion

The album's release was confirmed on 30 November 2018.[10]

Singles

"Let Me" was released on 12 April 2018 as the lead single from the album[11] and peaked at number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.[12] "Entertainer" was released as the album's second single on 23 May[13] and peaked at number 95 in the UK.[12] "Sour Diesel" was released as the album's third single on 18 July.[14] "Too Much" featuring Timbaland was released as the album's fourth single on 2 August[15] and charted at number 79 in the UK.[12] "Fingers" was released as the album's fifth single on 18 October.[16] "No Candle No Light" featuring Nicki Minaj was released as the album's sixth single on 15 November.[17]

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.[18] On 6 December, the song "Good Years" was released as the second promotional single.[19] "There You Are" was released on 11 December as the third promotional single from the album.[20][21]

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.[12] "Dusk Till Dawn" featuring Sia was released on 7 September 2017 and peaked at number five on the UK Singles Chart.[12] 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.[22] On 29 July 2018, Zayn, via his official Twitter account, released a three minute long cover[23] of Beyoncé's "Me, Myself and I" as a taster for his fans. The cover would go on to have as many as 1.7 million views.[23]

On 14 April 2019, Malik released the music video for the song "Stand Still".[24]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.2/10[25]
Metacritic70/100[26]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[27]
Clash7/10[28]
Consequence of SoundC+[29]
The Independent[30]
NME[31]
Now[32]
The Observer[33]
Pitchfork6.4/10[9]
Slant Magazine[34]

The album holds an aggregate score of 70 out of 100 on Metacritic based on nine reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[26] In a positive review, 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."[30]

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."[31]

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".[32]

Malvika Padin of Clash gave it a favourable review, calling it a "relentlessly creative" album that "begins the journey to realising his full potential".[28]

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."[27]

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."[9]

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."[33]

Conversely, Consequence of Sound's Wren Graves praised some of the songs and Zayn's vocals but criticised the album as a long "half-baked concept album" that is "repetitive and dull,"[29] while Pryor Stroud of Slant Magazine deemed it "bloated" and "forgettable, albeit expertly produced".[34]

Track listing
Disc 1
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
Icarus Falls – Disc 1 Japanese edition bonus tracks[39]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
14."Dusk Till Dawn" (featuring Sia)
Kurstin4:27
Disc 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
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]
3:24
20."All That"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
Saltwives3:10
21."Good Years"
  • Malik
  • M. Hannides
  • A. Hannides
  • Rohaim
  • Crichlow[40]
  • 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)
3:13
26."Fingers"
  • Malik
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
Saltwives2:53
27."Too Much" (featuring Timbaland)
3:06
Icarus Falls – Disc 2 Japanese edition bonus tracks[39]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
29."Still Got Time" (featuring PartyNextDoor)
3:08
Icarus Falls - Digital re-release 2020[42]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
28."Still Got Time" (featuring PartyNextDoor)
  • Malik
  • Braithwaite
  • Feeney
  • Lindstrom
  • Meckseper
  • Dukes
  • Murda Beatz[a]
  • Jr. Blender[c]
3:08
29."Dusk Till Dawn [Radio edit]" (featuring Sia)
  • Malik
  • Furler
  • Oriet
  • Phelan
  • Kurstin
Kurstin3:59

Notes

Sample credits

Charts
Chart (2018–19) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[43] 60
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[44] 98
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[45] 170
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[46] 24
Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[47] 53
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[48] 26
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[49] 40
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[50] 31
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[51] 63
Irish Albums (IRMA)[52] 97
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[53] 145
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[54] 31
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[55] 35
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[56] 30
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[57] 81
UK Albums (OCC)[58] 77
US Billboard 200[59] 61

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[60] 2× Platinum 80,000
Canada (Music Canada)[61] Gold 40,000
Poland (ZPAV)[62] Platinum 20,000
Singapore (RIAS)[63] Platinum 10,000*
United States (RIAA)[64] Gold 500,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 14 December 2018
RCA [1]
United States 21 December 2018
  • CD
  • digital download
  • streaming
 [65]
Japan CD Sony Music [66]

References
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  3. "Zayn says new album is '90% done', is working with Timbaland". MTV UK. 2 November 2017. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  4. Kaufman, Gil (25 May 2017). "Zayn Malik's Second Album Has a 'More Optimistic Tone'". Billboard. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. Louise-Smith, Katie (21 February 2018). "Zayn New Album: Title, Release Date, Tracklist And Everything We Know So Far". PopBuzz. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
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