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Room Under the Stairs

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Room Under the Stairs
Studio album by
Zayn
Released17 May 2024 (2024-05-17)
Recorded2018–2024
Studio
  • Georgia Mae Studio (Savannah, Georgia)
  • Red & Black Studio (Pennsylvania)
Genre
Length49:05
Label
Producer
Zayn chronology
Nobody Is Listening
(2021) 		Room Under the Stairs
(2024)
Singles from Room Under the Stairs
  1. "What I Am"
    Released: 15 March 2024
  2. "Alienated"
    Released: 12 April 2024
  3. "Stardust"
    Released: 17 May 2024

Room Under the Stairs is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Zayn. It was released through Mercury and Republic Records on 17 May 2024. Production was primarily handled by Zayn and Dave Cobb, alongside Gian Stone, James Ghaleb, Carter Lang, Rodaidh McDonald, German, and Kareen Loomax. The "Z Sides" version of the album was released three days later, which includes five additional tracks with two of them being demos. Serving as the follow-up to Zayn's previous album, Nobody Is Listening (2021), it is his first project not to feature any guest appearances. The album spawned three singles: "What I Am", "Alienated", and "Stardust". The album received generally favourable reception from music critics. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number fifteen on the US Billboard 200.

Background

[edit]

In July 2023, Zayn was interviewed by Alexandra Cooper of Call Her Daddy, where he revealed that he was recording a new album and spoke about some of its content and sound: "I'm doing a record I don't think people are really gonna expect... And it's got...like real-life experiences and stuff... [like] My daughter".[1]

On 28 February 2024, American record producer Dave Cobb revealed that he was working with Zayn on the (then) upcoming album in an interview with Rolling Stone, in which he said: "You can hear love, loss, pain, triumph and humanity in [his voice]... Zayn has really created his own universe on this record, he...has no fear and is speaking straight from his soul".[2] Exactly a week later, in a teaser video, Zayn said: "The intention... fully is for the listener to get more insight on me...as a human being".[3]

The cover art for Room Under the Stairs was considered to be a representation of Zayn's change in sound, with a simple illustration of a room under a staircase superimposed on his silhouette.[4]

Conception and influence

[edit]

"I think the intention behind this album fully is for the listener to get more insight on me personally as a human being... my ambitions, my fears, and for them to have a connection with that and that's why it's so raw. It's just me. There's just me writing this, I didn't want anyone else to be in between me and the music, and the music and the people listening to it."

 — Zayn via social media[5][6]

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Zayn stated that listening to Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson inspired the songwriting for this album, marking a shift away from the R&B sound of his first three albums towards "a more rustic and soulful sound".[7]

According to Clash, Room Under the Stairs is a "true coming-of-age story... where he draws on genres such as soul, country, and pop, and his lyrical sincerity and renewed creative freedom have taken his music in an exciting and interesting direction that no one saw coming."[8]

Composition

[edit]

Music

[edit]

The album includes "soulful" vocals on "Grateful", "Alienated" and "My Woman". Other tracks like "Stardust" was called an emotional and deep "country pop ode". "Gates of Hell" was considered to be an indie rock track with "soft rock Americana" and "an odd American twang" to Zayn's vocals appearing later in the track. "What I Am" was called soft pop and "False Starts" was noted for its "long falsettos". "Fuchsia Sea" was described as a "confused combination of soft rock and R&B".[9]

Songs

[edit]

"This is my favorite album that I've made to date, mainly because it comes from a place of sheer honesty and vulnerability, I wanted each song to feel as if it was just me sitting beside you telling you how I feel, singing directly to you. It's raw and stripped back and the type of music I always hoped to make. Working with Dave Cobb has been an amazing experience. The way he's elevated the music is second to none, and he has done an incredible job helping me create this record. I hope we can take listeners on some whimsical, magical journey, and that they enjoy listening to it as much as I enjoyed making it."

"I think just being where I was at that time, staying away from things and living with my own thoughts inspired me to want to write something from that place. I've got to put this out as a whole body of work, it's something for myself, not even just for the world."

 — Zayn via Rolling Stone[10]

Zayn's sonic reinvention arrives immediately in Room Under the Stairs, as the opener "Dreamin" pairs his general sense of yearning with blues rock that reaches out for listener participation.[11] Remaining at a jazzy pace throughout, "Dreamin" showcases Zayn's remarkable voice reaching new peaks as he effortlessly weaves in and out of R&B-styled runs.[8]

"What I Am", released as the lead single, is a soulful, bruised ballad with a lovely, gliding chorus.[12] Fully removing Zayn from his past rhythmic-pop territory and embarking on a folksy new beginning.[11] His rich, elegantly frayed vocal coats a soft rock lilt and nagging melody.[13] The album's third track "Grateful", is alternately languid and soaring, with Zayn given a platform to show off his full, impressive vocal range.[12] He sounds fully unlocked over the swaying rock production.[11]

The second single "Alienated" is a raw soul-flecked track.[14] It contains country rock undertones and a "soulfulness that connects the song with his past oeuvre".[11] The track "My Woman" is sexy in Zayn's classical style, but with a more mature, timeless feel.[15] It works as a simple, spaced-out rocker, with Zayn hovering above a collection of guitars, keys and drums.[11] "How It Feels" is an emotionally raw lament,[13] aiming for folksy reflection.[11] While sweeping strings and church-worthy keys support his yearning cries.[16]

On "Stardust", Zayn operates in a different sound than he is used to, but relies on his well-worn vocal warmth. The song benefits from a sense of tempo and nicely crafted hooks.[11] Easily the highlight, and one that will lend itself perfectly to concert sing-a-longs.[15] "Gates of Hell" is a raw, rough around the edges and intriguingly unbothered with pop appeal.[11] "Birds on a Cloud" is one of the sole moments of up-tempo blood rush.[16] Zayn's voice is purposely thinned out, sounding emotionally wobbly, the brittleness of the performance is effective given the lyrical themes.[11]

"Concrete Kisses" includes instrumentation from "sparkling" keys and a "meandering" bassline.[17] The song "shrugs off the misery with rollicking keyboard work and full-bodied soul rock".[11] It was also called "a gorgeous, intimate and thought-provoking record".[15] "False Starts" contains a slow build.[8] The vocal performance on "False Starts" is dynamic with Zayn leaning into his falsetto and showing off the full spectrum of his technical talent.[11] "The Time" offers an instrumentation of honeyed mix of guitar and drums.[11] However, according to Variety his vocal riffs and embellishments often sound too rugged or misplaced against the instrumentation.[18]

Zayn locates a beautiful meeting point between the R&B stylings of his solo past and the more guitar-driven fare, "Something in the Water" is a cross-genre gem, giving Zayn a chance to delve into wedding-song material in earnest.[11] "Shoot at Will" is a sterile ballad about being lured back into the past.[19] Although Zayn spends much of "Shoot at Will" sounding resigned to an unhappy fate, the tender acoustic guitar offers a glint of hope, as the song threatens to boil over into buoyant folk pop but never crosses the threshold.[11] The closing "Fuschia Sea" returns to the smooth and sultry vocal deliveries that we heard from Zayn's previous projects.[18] The song features an excellent, emotion-drenched vocal performance.[12]

Release and promotion

[edit]

Zayn announced the album alongside with its cover art and release date on 13 March 2024.[20] He released a 45-second teaser video exactly a week before and made the album available for pre-order.

Singles

[edit]

"What I Am" was released on 15 March 2024 as the lead single for the album, it was accompanied by a lyric video.[21] "Alienated", the second single for the album was released with an accompanying live performance on 12 April 2024.[22] "Stardust" was the third single of the album, which was accompanied with a music video that was released the same day of the album.[23]

Zayn announced his first-ever solo live show at the O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on May 17 in celebration of the release of his fourth album Room Under the Stairs. He performed a selection of tracks from his new LP.[24]

Critical reception

[edit]
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?6.3/10[25]
Metacritic69/100[26]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[16]
Clash7/10[8]
The Daily Telegraph[19]
DIY[9]
Dork[27]
The Guardian[13]
MusicOMH[12]
Pitchfork5.8/10[17]
The Line of Best Fit7/10[15]
Rolling Stone UK[14]

Room Under the Stairs received generally positive reviews from music critics. The album received a score of 69 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on ten reviews, which the website categorised as "generally favorable" reception.[26] Neil Z. Yeung of AllMusic commented that "more than a reductive Zayn goes country" album, the beautiful Room Under the Stairs is the sound of an artist trying something brave and new, tapping into his soul and coming out on the other side with the strongest album of his career to date."[16]

Shannon Garner of Clash stated that it "is a revealing meditation of his journey in life where he lays his thoughts and feelings bare and the songs are built on a relaxing energy". She followed, "it also finds him exploring the hard notion of healing and self-discovery whilst remaining true to himself and that's something his fans should be proud of."[8]

The Daily Telegraph stated that the album shows "Malik's voice washes over you in slow, sensual waves, backed by instrumentals that sound more at home in dingy dive bars than brightly-lit stadiums."[19]

Dan Harrison of Dork called the record a "poignant reminder that sometimes losing one's way is the first step toward being truly found. It's a courageous, creative statement from an artist who has emerged from the crucible of personal evolution battle-scarred yet unbroken, with a clarity of voice and purpose as bracing as it is beautiful."[27]

Michael Cragg of The Guardian expressed that the "album is another unexpected manoeuvre. Eschewing his pop R&B sound, it focuses on rustic acoustic guitars, tinkling keys and the patter of live drums". He also stated that "it's a record that further cements Malik as an intriguing outlier."[13]

Sophia Simon-Bashall of The Line of Best Fit praised the album, stating that "they're Zayn's stories but they're shared in such an honest, straightforward yet compelling manner that they feel like your own."[15]

Commercial performance

[edit]

Zayn made a notable comeback with Room Under the Stairs, which debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart.[28] Internationally, the album debuted at number nine in Germany and the Netherlands,[29][30] and number sixteen in Australia.[31]

In the United States, the album entered the top 20 on the Billboard 200, ranked at number fifteen.[32] Additionally, for the first time, Zayn appeared on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart, debuting at number five,[33] and at number five on the Americana/Folk Albums chart.[34] The album sold 29,000 equivalent album units in the US in its first week.[35]

Track listing

[edit]
Room Under the Stairs track listing[36]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Dreamin"Zayn Malik
3:32
2."What I Am"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
3:31
3."Grateful"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
3:22
4."Alienated"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
4:08
5."My Woman"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
3:43
6."How It Feels"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
2:59
7."Stardust"
  • Cobb
  • Ghaleb
  • Stone
3:52
8."Gates of Hell"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
2:40
9."Birds on a Cloud"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
3:13
10."Concrete Kisses"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
3:45
11."False Starts"
  • Lang
  • McDonald
3:29
12."The Time"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
3:14
13."Something in the Water"
2:32
14."Shoot at Will"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
2:37
15."Fuchsia Sea"Malik
  • Cobb
  • Zayn
2:28
Total length:49:05
Z Sides – Deluxe edition[37]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
16."Ignorance Ain't Bliss" (Demo)
  • Malik
  • Zaidenstadt
Zayn3:19
17."Lied To"
  • Malik
  • Zaidenstadt
Zayn2:46
18."In the Bag"
  • Malik
  • Zaidenstadt
Zayn3:52
19."Gave"
  • Malik
  • Zaidenstadt
Zayn3:04
20."Alienated" (Demo)
  • Malik
  • Zaidenstadt
Zayn4:27
Total length:66:33

Note

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer

Personnel

[edit]

Musicians

  • Zayn – lead vocals (all tracks), background vocals (track 7)
  • Brian Allen – bass (tracks 1–6, 8–10, 12–15)
  • Carter Lang – bass, drums, guitar, synthesizer (track 11)
  • Dave Cobb – electric guitar (tracks 1–7, 9–10, 13, 15), acoustic guitar (4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15), percussion (4, 8)
  • Derrek Phillips – drums (tracks 1–10, 12–15), percussion (1, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10)
  • German – drums, keyboards, programming (track 13)
  • Gian Stone - drums, electric guitar, percussion, programming (track 7)
  • James Ghaleb – bass, electric guitar (track 7)
  • Kareen Lomax – guitar (track 13)
  • Logan Todd – percussion (track 5)
  • Philip Towns – keyboards (tracks 1–10, 12–15), percussion (4, 8, 10)
  • Rodaidh McDonald – guitar, percussion, programming, synthesizer (track 11)
  • Sean Douglas - background vocals (track 7)

Technical

  • Carter Lang – engineering (track 11)
  • Daniel Bacigalupi – mastering
  • Daniel Zaidenstadt – engineering
  • Eric Caudieux – editing (tracks 5, 6, 13, 14)
  • Ethan Barrette – engineering assistance
  • Greg Koller – mixing (tracks 1–6, 8–15), engineering (1–10, 12–15)
  • Gian Stone – engineering (track 7)
  • Jeremie Inhaber – mixing (track 7)
  • Justin Cortelyou – editing (track 14)
  • Pete Lyman – mastering
  • Rodaidh McDonald – engineering (track 11)

Charts

[edit]
Chart performance for Room Under the Stairs
Chart (2024) Peak
position
Australian Albums (ARIA)[31] 16
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[38] 25
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[39] 15
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[40] 43
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[30] 9
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[29] 9
Irish Albums (OCC)[41] 26
Italian Albums (FIMI)[42] 38
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[43] 38
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[44] 25
Portuguese Albums (AFP)[45] 98
Scottish Albums (OCC)[46] 2
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[47] 17
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[48] 31
UK Albums (OCC)[28] 3
UK Independent Albums (OCC)[49] 7
US Billboard 200[32] 15
US Folk Albums (Billboard)[34] 5
US Top Rock & Alternative Albums (Billboard)[33] 5

Release history

[edit]
Release history and formats for Room Under the Stairs
Region Date Format(s) Version Label Ref.
Various 17 May 2024
Standard
[50][51]
United States 18 May 2024 Digital download Z Sides [52]
Various 20 May 2024 Streaming [37]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Kaplan, Ilana (28 February 2024). "Is Zayn Malik Teasing a Country Album? Nashville Producer Details His New Sound: 'No Fear'". People. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  2. ^ Blistein, Jon (28 February 2024). "Zayn Teases New Sonic Journey on Next Album Co-Produced With Dave Cobb". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 15 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  3. ^ Longmire, Becca (6 March 2024). "Zayn Malik Teases 'Raw' New Album: 'There's Just Me Writing This'". People. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Zayn's 'Room Under The Stairs': Everything We Know About Release Date, Cover Art & An Unexpected Country Influence | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Room Under the Stairs trailer". Instagram. 6 March 2024. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
  6. ^ "Zayn Malik Teases 'Raw' New Album: 'There's Just Me Writing This'". Peoplemag. Retrieved 9 April 2024.
  7. ^ Paul, Larisha (17 April 2024). "How Zayn Drew Inspiration From Chris Stapleton and Embraced Honesty on New Single 'Alienated'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e Garner, Shannon (17 May 2024). "Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Clash. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  9. ^ a b Robinson, Otis. "Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". DIY. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Hear Zayn Hold His Own on Emotional New Single 'What I Am'". Rolling Stone. 15 March 2024. Retrieved 15 March 2024.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Lipshutz, Jason (20 May 2024). "Zayn's 'Room Under the Stairs': All 15 Songs Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  12. ^ a b c d White, Chris (17 May 2024). "Zayn – Room Under The Stairs". MusicOMH. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Gragg, Michael (17 May 2024). "Zayn: Room Under the Stairs review – Nashville-produced minimalism suits him". The Guardian. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  14. ^ a b Reilly, Nick (3 May 2024). "Zayn Malik Room Under the Stairs review: A new direction for One Direction star". Rolling Stone UK. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  15. ^ a b c d e Simon-Bashall, Sophia (17 May 2024). "Zayn matures on Room Under the Stairs". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  16. ^ a b c d Yeung, Neil Z. "Room Under the Stairs Review by Neil Z. Yeung". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  17. ^ a b Shaffer, Claire. "Zayn: Room Under the Stairs". Pitchfork. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
  18. ^ a b Variety Staff (17 May 2024). "Zayn Lets His Guard Down on 'Room Under the Stairs,' but Teeters Between Reinvention and Reintroduction: Album Review". Variety. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  19. ^ a b c Platt, Poppie (17 May 2024). "Zayn Malik finally finds his calling in country – plus the week's best albums". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  20. ^ Aniftos, Rania (13 March 2024). "Zayn Announces New Album 'Room Under the Stairs'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  21. ^ Zemler, Emily (15 March 2024). "Hear Zayn Hold His Own on Emotional New Single 'What I Am'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  22. ^ Madarang, Charisma (12 April 2024). "Zayn Bids Adieu to the Past in New Single 'Alienated'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  23. ^ Zemler, Emily (17 May 2024). "Zayn Reaches for the Heavens in 'Stardust' Music Video". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  24. ^ Duran, Anagricel (1 May 2024). "Zayn Malik announces first ever solo live show in London". NME. Retrieved 4 May 2024.
  25. ^ "Room Under the Stairs by Zayn". AnyDecentMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  26. ^ a b "Room Under the Stairs by Zayn Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  27. ^ a b Harrison, Dan (17 May 2024). "Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Dork. Retrieved 17 May 2024.
  28. ^ a b "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  29. ^ a b "Offiziellecharts.de – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  30. ^ a b "Dutchcharts.nl – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  31. ^ a b "Australiancharts.com – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  32. ^ a b "Zayn Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  33. ^ a b "Zayn Chart History (Top Rock & Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  34. ^ a b "Zayn Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  35. ^ Keith Caulfield, Gary Trust (29 May 2024). "Zayn Steps Onto Rock, Americana/Folk Album Charts With 'Room Under the Stairs'". Billboard. Retrieved 5 August 2024.
  36. ^ Aniftos, Rania (10 April 2024). "Zayn Unveils 'Room Under the Stairs' Tracklist". Billboard. Retrieved 10 April 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  37. ^ a b ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS (Z SIDES) by ZAYN on Apple Music, 20 May 2024, retrieved 21 May 2024
  38. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 May 2024.
  39. ^ "Ultratop.be – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  40. ^ "Ultratop.be – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  41. ^ "Official Irish Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  42. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  43. ^ "Charts.nz – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  44. ^ "OLiS - oficjalna lista sprzedaży - albumy" (in Polish). OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Note: Change the date to 17.05.2024–23.05.2024 under "zmień zakres od–do:". Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  45. ^ "Portuguesecharts.com – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 12 June 2024.
  46. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  47. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Zayn – Room Under The Stairs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  48. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Zayn – Room Under the Stairs". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  49. ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 25 May 2024.
  50. ^ ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS by ZAYN on Apple Music, 17 May 2024, retrieved 21 May 2024
  51. ^ "MUSIC". Zayn Official Store. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  52. ^ ROOM UNDER THE STAIRS (Z SIDES), 18 May 2024, retrieved 21 May 2024
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