Saturday, November 9, 2024

One Direction’s Zayn Makes One More Stab at a Hit with Melancholy “Good Years” (from Backstreet Boys Writer) and New Album (At Last)

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SATURDAY NIGHT UPDATE: “Good Years” is stuck at number 34 on iTunes. Where are all the Zayn fans?

FRIDAY: Zayn Malik, ex One Direction, is making one more stab at a hit with the melancholy “Good Years.” He’s released six singles since his hit first solo album. All of them sank like stones. “Good Years” is written by Herbie Crichlow, who penned the Backstreet Boys hits “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely” and “Quit Playing Games with My Heart.”

The new Zayn album is called “Icarus Falls,” so I guess it’s all about flying too close to the sun and melting his wings. No tracklist yet, but the album hits in one week, next Friday, December 14th. Initial reaction to “Good Years” sends it to number 25 on iTunes tonight, but it’s a tricky time with Christmas singles clogging the charts.

We root for Zayn, who suffers from anxiety, has trouble touring and performing live, and dated Gigi Hadid, a model who is in the Kardashian galaxy (don’t ask). He’s covered in tattoos, too, like Guy Pearce in “Memento.” But he has an earnest interest in R&B, so we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. For now.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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