Zayn's New Album Flopped So Hard There Is Now a 1D Solo Power Vacuum

We bring this report to you with a heavy heart.

Over the years, we’ve considered it our duty (nay: our privilege) to document the ongoing 1D rivalry (which, admittedly, may take place entirely in our minds). 

In fact, in 2017, we prematurely dropped the 'Mission Accomplished' banner for Zayn Malik, the first member of One Direction to forge out on a solo career, and first to score a solo #1 single and album.

We also felt vindicated when Harry Styles, the heir apparent, borked his eventual solo endeavour.

But a year is a long time in the pop landscape, and as 2018 draws to a close, we must reluctantly recall previous claims that 'Zayn Won'. Fact is, Zayn merely won the battle, but lost the war.

Last week, Zayn dropped his second solo album, Icarus Falls, and boy was that a prophetically-titled LP. In his home nation, the U.K., it moved only 1,730 copies, resulting in a #64 debut on the charts.

That’s despite the fact he loosed—get this—eight singles ahead of the record’s release, beginning with 2017’s "Still Got Time" and "Dusk Till Dawn", which charted decently. (They were left off the album.) However, his 2018 tracks "Entertainer", "Too Much" and "No Candle No Light" were basically chart disasters. (Here in Australia, only the latter cracked the ARIA Top 100, and barely. We won't know where the album placed on the local ARIA charts until this weekend.)

He has more options for singles—after all, Icarus Falls is 27 songs long—and both "Entertainer" and "Too Much" are slinky earworms that deserve a second listen. But there’s no denying that the stink of Icarus Falls’ failure will be hard to wash off in the eyes of the public.

The question is, who will step in to take the solo 1D crown? Harry? Niall? Liam? Surely not Louis??

Consider the position vacant until further notice.

Header Image: YouTube (zayn)