March 25, 2015, Zayn Malik announced his departure from British boy-band One Direction after nearly 5 years of the group’s birth. March 25, 2016, Zayn Malik releases his debut album Mind Of Mine. This widely anticipated album not only further allowed Zayn to show the world who he really is, but also solidified his ability to be successful as a solo artist. Upon the release of Mind of Mine, Zayn released a statement to ” The Fader” stating: “Recording Mind of Mine gave me the chance to escape the tyranny of label-dictated boy-band pablum.” (To read the full interview, go to: http://www.thefader.com/2015/11/17/zayn-malik-fader-cover-story-interview-solo-album-one-direction) This album allowed Zayn individuality and freedom with his sound and direction.

Mind of mine featured experimental moments and risks other artists have not taken on a debut album, which further set him aside from other R&B soloists and paves the way for his gap in the market. The hypnotic intermission “Flower” caught the attention of many with the Urdu lyrics. It’s refreshing for Zayn to be able to now, as a soloist, introduce his pride for his Pakistani culture. Other tracks such as “Fool For You” and “It’s You” soothed the ear with his smooth, raspy voice as he took the stereotypical path of love songs. The debatably most R&B track, “Wrong” featuring R&B singer, Kehlani, earned much praise as two voices came together beautifully in this less-than-love song. Many others of Zayn’s tracks featured in this album seemed to follow a similar trend of lyrics describing broken love and sex.

Though this album came with controversy and criticism, when it debuted at #1 on Billboard and Itunes, it is now undeniable that Zayn has the ability to succeed as a solo artist. His unique voice and creativity shines through now in a way that never had while he was part of One Direction. His music shows a clear look at the person he really is instead of the person he had to be.