It's been over two years since the release of Zayn Malik's debut album, 'Mind of Mine'. While the album did speak about topics personal to him, 'Good Years' is one of the first songs relating to Zayn's time in the band that jumpstarted his career, One Direction.
The word "ZAYN" is placed against a white background in a chiseled font, making up the cover of his new album, 'Icarus Falls'. The cover is basic, but clean and aesthetically pleasing.
The song is exactly three minutes in length, following the usual ABABCB pattern. I found that the duration of 'Good Years' was perfect and didn't drag on unnecessarily. The song itself is a slow, piano based R&B song. Malik demonstrated his extensive vocal range throughout the song, hitting many high notes.
The lyrics on the other hand were not that deep, but they do get the message across. Malik uses the song to express that his years in 1D were not as glamorous as they seemed. Mentions of drugs, alcohol, and fighting were key indicators of some troublesome moments that went on behind the scenes. Since leaving the group, Malik has been public about his bad experiences and mental health issues caused by packed months of touring and recording. The lyrics were powerful, considering Zayn masked his dislike of being in the band throughout the years, but I did find them a bit repetitive.
Zayn Malik's new album, 'Icarus Falls', drops Friday, December 14th.