"Alienated" is a song by English singer-songwriter Zayn. It was released on 12 April 2024 through Mercury and Republic Records as the second single from his fourth studio album, Room Under the Stairs. Zayn wrote the song with Daniel Zaidenstadt and produced it alongside American record producer Dave Cobb.
| "Alienated" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Zayn | ||||
| from the album Room Under the Stairs | ||||
| Released | 12 April 2024 | |||
| Genre | Soul blues[1] | |||
| Length | 4:07 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) |
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| Zayn singles chronology | ||||
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| Live performance | ||||
| "Alienated" on YouTube | ||||
Background
editAccording to Zayn, via X, "'Alienated' was the first song I wrote for the album, so it kind of set the tone for the whole project - it shaped the way I wanted to approach the sound of my own voice, the styling of the guitars and the overall sonic direction."[2] He revealed on social media that he wrote the song six years ago.[3] The idea first came up while Zayn was living in Philadelphia when he "wanted to write something that was a little bit more elevated, and a little bit more insightful than the music that I'd been putting out at that point."[1] He also stated that it was his favourite off the album as it "comes from a place of sheer honesty and vulnerability."[4]
Composition
edit"Alienated" was written by Zayn and produced it with Dave Cobb.[5] The track strays away from Zayn's early R&B sound and focuses on a more soulful sound inspired by artists such as Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson.[1] Speaking about the sound, he stated "you can't really put them in a genre," as he noted that the song was "influenced by other music." He described it as his version of blues.[6]
Live performance
editOn 12 April 2024, Zayn uploaded a live performance video of the song onto his YouTube channel, which marks his first live performance since 2016.[7]
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[8] | 26 |
| UK Asian Music (OCC)[9] | 1 |
| UK Singles Downloads (OCC)[10] | 57 |
| UK Singles Sales (OCC)[11] | 60 |
| UK British Asian Chart (OCC)[12] | 1 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 12 April 2024 | [13] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Larisha Paul (April 17, 2024). "How Zayn Drew Inspiration From Chris Stapleton and Embraced Honesty on New Single 'Alienated'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ Tyler Damara Kelly (April 12, 2024). "Zayn unveils new single, "Alienated" with live performance video". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "Zayn Malik reveals 6-year-old secret following 'Alienated' release". The News International. April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Charisma Madarang (April 12, 2024). "Zayn Bids Adieu to the Past in New Single 'Alienated'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ Alex Harris (April 14, 2024). "Alienated Lyrics: Zayn Lays Bare His Soul on Raw, Introspective New Single". Neon Music. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ @zaynmalik (April 8, 2024). "Alienated 12.4.24 👽" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Brenton Blanchet (April 12, 2024). "Zayn Malik Shares First Live Performance Video Since 2016 as He Drops New Single 'Alienated'". People. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. April 22, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Official Asian Music Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
- ^ "Official Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 19, 2024.
- ^ "Official British Asian Chart". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
- ^ "Zayn Releases Rare Live Performance Video for 'Alienated'". Universal Music Canada. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.