Wikipedia

Nobody Is Listening

Nobody Is Listening is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter Zayn. It was released on 15 January 2021 through RCA Records,[1] which is his last album under the label. The album features guest appearances from Syd and Devlin. It follows his previous album, Icarus Falls, 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 forty-four on the US Billboard 200 and number seventeen on the UK Albums Chart.

Nobody Is Listening
Studio album by
Zayn
Released15 January 2021 (2021-01-15)
Studio
  • Major Tom's (London)
  • Germano, the Mastering Place (New York City)
Genre
Length35:43
LabelRCA
Producer
  • Zayn
  • Charlie Handsome
  • David Harris
  • Ernest
  • Henrique Andrade
  • Jacob Durrett
  • Jay Kurzweil
  • Nicky Davey
  • Philip von Boch Scully
  • Red Buttonz
  • Roger Kleinman
  • Rogét Chahayed
  • Saltwives
  • Scribz Riley
  • Symphony
  • Unicorn Waves
  • Zachary Seman
Zayn chronology
Icarus Falls
(2018) 		Nobody Is Listening
(2021) 		Room Under the Stairs
(2024)
Singles from Nobody Is Listening
  1. "Better"
    Released: 25 September 2020
  2. "Vibez"
    Released: 8 January 2021

Background

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The album's artwork is designed by Zayn himself and is inspired by expressionism and graffiti.[2] 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".[3] 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".[4] In an interview with Entertainment Daily, Zayn described the album as his "most personal project to date".[5]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?5.7/10[6]
Metacritic63/100[7]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [8]
Clash7/10[9]
The Daily Telegraph     [10]
Evening Standard     [11]
The Guardian     [12]
The Independent     [13]
The Irish Times     [14]
NME     [15]
Pitchfork5.6/10[16]
Rolling Stone     [17]

The album holds an aggregate score of 63 out of 100 on Metacritic based on nine reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]

Dhruva Balram of NME 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".[15] Writing for Rolling Stone, 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".[17] Jem Aswad of Variety named the album "concise and to the point" and felt that it "clears the table for whatever might be coming next".[18] 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".[9]

Kitty Empire of The Guardian 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.[12] Writing for AllMusic, 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."[8] Craig Jenkins of Vulture 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."[19] Sheldon Pearce of The New Yorker 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."[20]

In a less positive review, Alexandra Pollard of The Independent 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 [his voice] justice here".[13] Kate Solomon of The Daily Telegraph felt the album lacked personality while writing that "he has nothing mature to say" and "fails to make the most of his talents".[10] Writing for The Evening Standard, 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."[11] Louise Bruton of The Irish Times wrote that Malik "has now found his niche in lo-fi R&B-pop that’s intentionally made without any aim at all."[14] Dani Blum, writing for Pitchfork, 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.[16] Writing for Renowned for Sound, 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".[21]

Track listing

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Nobody Is Listening track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Calamity"Zayn Malik
  • Zayn
  • Unicorn Waves
3:07
2."Better"
  • Scully
  • Citrenbaum[a]
2:54
3."Outside"
Charlie Handsome3:28
4."Vibez"
2:43
5."When Love's Around" (featuring Syd)
  • Nicky Davey
  • Jay Kurzweil[b]
3:11
6."Connexion"
  • Kleinman
  • Seman
3:16
7."Sweat"
  • Malik
  • Alexander Oriet
  • David Phelan
  • Negin Djafari
Saltwives3:52
8."Unfuckwitable"
  • Red Buttonz
  • Symphony
2:44
9."Windowsill" (featuring Devlin)
Saltwives3:08
10."Tightrope"
  • Malik
  • Ernest Smith
  • David Harris
  • Jacob Durrett
  • Ravi Badayuni
  • Shakeel Badayuni
3:24
11."River Road"
  • Malik
  • Henrique Andrade
  • Zayn
  • Andrade
3:56
Total length:35:43

Notes

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  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[b] signifies a co-producer
  • "Tightrope" interpolates "Chaudhvin Ka Chand Ho", written by Ravi Sharma and performed by Mohammed Rafi

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance for Nobody Is Listening
Chart (2021) Peak
position
Argentine Albums (CAPIF)[22] 2
Australian Albums (ARIA)[23] 10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[24] 22
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[25] 83
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[26] 21
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] 31
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[28] 21
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 35
Irish Albums (OCC)[30] 32
Italian Albums (FIMI)[31] 8
Lithuanian Albums (AGATA)[32] 5
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[33] 31
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[34] 22
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[35] 5
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[36] 1
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[37] 9
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[38] 20
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[39] 17
Scottish Albums (OCC)[40] 88
UK Albums (OCC)[41] 17
US Billboard 200[42] 44

Release history

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Release history and formats for Nobody Is Listening
Region Date Format(s) Label Ref.
Various 15 January 2021
RCA [43]

References

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  1. ^ "Nobody Is Listening by ZAYN". Apple Music. 15 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
  2. ^ Cowen, Trace. "Zayn Shares New Album 'Nobody Is Listening'". Complex. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  3. ^ "Zayn". RCA Records. Archived from the original on 9 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  4. ^ Bodegon, Kara (7 January 2021). "Zayn Malik is dropping his third studio album Nobody Is Listening, here's everything you need to know". Bandwagon Asia. Archived from the original on 7 January 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  5. ^ "Zayn Malik Sends Twitter Into Overdrive With News Of New Single". Wonderland Magazine. 7 January 2021. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
  6. ^ "Nobody Is Listening by Zayn reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  7. ^ a b "Nobody Is Listening by ZAYN". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b Yeung, Neil. "Zayn Finds His Sweet Spot on 'Nobody Is Listening'". Nobody Is Listening - ZAYN. Archived from the original on 29 January 2021. Retrieved 17 February 2021.
  9. ^ a b Padin, Malvika (15 January 2021). "Zayn Malik - Nobody Is Listening". Clash. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b Solomon, Kate (15 January 2021). "If Nobody is Listening to Zayn Malik, it's because he has nothing mature to say". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 30 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  11. ^ a b Smyth, David (14 January 2021). "ZAYN - Nobody Is Listening review: Hazy R&B textures with few standout moments". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  12. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (16 January 2021). "Zayn: Nobody Is Listening review – music to make babies to". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  13. ^ a b Pollard, Alexandra (15 January 2021). "Zayn review, Nobody's Listening: A blancmange of watered-down R&B". The Independent. Archived from the original on 21 June 2022. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b Bruton, Louise. "Zayn: Nobody Is Listening review – Heaving sound of sensitivity, smut and seduction". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  15. ^ a b Balram, Dhruva (15 January 2021). "ZAYN – 'Nobody Is Listening' review: ex-boybander crafts quietly purposeful pop". NME. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  16. ^ a b Blum, Dani. "Zayn: Nobody Is Listening". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
  17. ^ a b Spanos, Brittany (15 January 2021). "Zayn Finds His Sweet Spot on 'Nobody Is Listening'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  18. ^ Aswad, Jem (15 January 2021). "Zayn Strips Down for His Third Solo Outing, 'Nobody Is Listening': Album Review". Variety. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  19. ^ "Zayn's Solo Career Still Makes No Sense, Yet the Intrigue Remains Earned". 15 January 2021. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Arlo Parks Collapsed in Sunbeams". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on 13 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Album Review: Zayn – Nobody is Listening – Renowned for Sound". Archived from the original on 3 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  22. ^ "Los discos más vendidos de la semana". Diario de Cultura (in Spanish). Argentine Chamber of Phonograms and Videograms Producers. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  23. ^ "Australiancharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  24. ^ "Ultratop.be – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  25. ^ "Ultratop.be – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  26. ^ "Zayn Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  27. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  28. ^ "Zayn: Nobody Is Listening" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  29. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  31. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  32. ^ "2021 3-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 22 January 2021. Archived from the original on 22 January 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
  33. ^ "Charts.nz – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  34. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  35. ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  36. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  37. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
  38. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  39. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Zayn – Nobody Is Listening". Hung Medien. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  40. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  41. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  42. ^ "Zayn Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  43. ^ "Nobody Is Listening by ZAYN on Apple Music". Apple Music. 15 January 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
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