ZAYN may have left a lucrative run as a boy-band lead member, but that hasn’t stopped his solo momentum. His debut album ‘Mind Of Mine’ has become one of the most critically acclaimed R&B albums of 2016 and could easily become a frontrunner for Grammys in 2017. On the album standout “Lucozade”, ZAYN throws away everything that listeners know about the standard format for R&B songs to create a lush, slow-burning melody that’s completely fresh and original. At first glance, it appears that the song title is lifted from the sports drink of the same name, but ZAYN merely uses the controversial beverage as a point of reference to the (apparent) chaos in his own life. Instead of the standard verse-and-chorus format with most songs, “lUcOzAdE” highlights ZAYN releasing his stream-of-consciousness through his art. It’s almost as if ZAYN drank too much Lucozade and he’s emotionally revealing his layers on the song. At the end of the song, ZAYN croons about being aware of what he’s done on the song and reflects on his past and present decisions. If ZAYN is trying to pave his own path through the world of (alt) R&B, this is the best way to go. Listen and download ZAYN’s “lUcOzAdE” below.

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