Getty Zayn Malik
Zayn’s second studio album Icarus Falls is set to be released at 9 p.m. Pacific time on Thursday and midnight Eastern time on Friday. If that is too late for you to stay awake, you can stream and listen to it at your convenience.
Generally, albums become available around midnight ET on streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify. This was the case for Zayn’s previous release, 2015’s Mind of Me. On occasion, these platforms will throw a curveball at listeners.
‘Icarus Falls’ Will Officially Be Released at Midnight ET on Friday
Take Kanye West’s recent album ye for example. It was originally scheduled for release at midnight on June 1, but it wasn’t made available until the following afternoon. A similar thing happened with Drake’s double album Scorpion. While it was released at the proper time on Apple Music, the album wasn’t made available until 3 a.m. ET for Spotify users.
Icarus Falls was originally set for a 2017 release, with the promotional track “Still Got Time” featuring PartyNextDoor meant to be the lead single. The album was ultimately delayed, which Zayn chalked up to constantly tinkering in the studio. “This record, I’ve kind of finalized it. But there’s always ideas,” he told The Fader. “Every day I find another song that I’m swapping out with another one. That’s why the album date hasn’t really come yet.”
Zayn Chalked the Album’s Lengthy Delay Up to Constantly ‘Changing Things’ In the Studio
Even though the album is pretty much there, and I have the material, I’m still changing things here and there,” he continued. “It’s not necessary in my head when I work on a song whether it’s for a new project or whether it’s for this… I’m really excited about it. It’s kind of going to be something weird with it — I don’t want to say more. It’s not your usual way of putting out an album, let’s say that.”
When asked about the number of songs he’s recorded for Icarus Falls, Zayn said that it was less than he recorded for his debut. “I don’t have a specific number. It’s a lot, but I know it’s not as much as the first time around,” he revealed. “That’s just showing that I’m more focused on what I’m doing, and each song I’m saying what I want to say. The other record, I was figuring that out still, so there was a lot more material.
In the months leading up to the album’s December 14 release, Zayn has released a flurry of promotional singles including “Let Me”, “Sour Diesel”, “Too Much” and “No Candle No Light” featuring Nicki Minaj. “Let Me” was particularly successful, peaking at number three on the Billboard Hot 100. Check out the music video for it above.