Zayn Says He Didn't “Jump on the Bandwagon” With Country Album

Zayn dips his toes into the world of country with his upcoming album, Room under the stairsbut it doesn't just keep up with the recent music trend.

“I was pretty much on my farm drinking a glass of whiskey and listening a little [Chris] Stapleton by the fire with my dog, playing guitar,” Zane said album” rel=”nofollow” target=”_blank”>Nylon of his inspiration to go to the country in a story published on Tuesday (May 14). However, he added that while he's “proud” of the upcoming album, he's still concerned about comparisons to the likes of Beyoncé, Post Malone and other pop acts who have broken into country music recently. “People need to know that I didn't jump on the bandwagon,” he said.

He continued, “People are looking for a little more depth than the lyrics. On the Top 40 charts, a lot of mainstream music is kind of spontaneous. The songs have fire. You know what I mean? They are catchy. They play on the radio and do their job, but people are looking for a little bit more.”

Zayn then doubled down on how much Stapleton inspired him, as well as icons like Willie Nelson. “I could really hear the lyrics and their pain and their growth and their life lessons,” she explained. “I didn't feel like there was a Chris Stapleton song that sounded like an af—boy, right? He doesn't! He's not out here saying, “F—-es in the club! We drink Bacardi!' Or whatever these new guys are using now. It's not like that. It's classy, ​​right? It tells you the story of a real grown man. And I respected the f— out of it. I was like, “That's cool. It's something I can do.”

The 15-track album, due May 17, will include the lead single “What I Am,” as well as tracks such as “Alienated,” “My Woman,” Stardust, “Something in the Water,” “Fuchsia Sea” and but .

Room under the stairs will mark Zayn's first full-length solo project since 2021 Nobody is listening. After leaving One Direction in 2015, the singer began his solo music career with 2016 My mind and followed it up with 2018 Icarus Falls.