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CRITIC REVIEWS
83
He doesn’t sound particularly interested in pushing pop’s boundaries or dissecting the vagaries of his own fame. Instead, he tends to keep his lyrical focus exactly where you’d expect any 23-year-old’s to be.
80
The lasting impression of Mind of Mine ... is of someone finally making the music they’ve wanted to make for a long time.
80
His vocals are by far the album’s most potent aspect, bringing grace and wonder even to the more routine material, and hoisting the better songs to classic status.
80
Soulful, sexy and captivating, Mind Of Mine hints at the flexibility, focus and character required of the brightest solo stars.
80
It’s expected and necessary for Zayn to establish himself apart from the roiling machinery of 1D, and it has allowed him to push forward both with his own incredible voice and with his songwriting, his subject matter.
80
Zayn has clearly achieved his aim of making an album of sexy, credible pop-R&B. ‘Mind Of Mine’ is sumptuously produced and perfectly sung, with just enough intrigue.
71
Zayn’s debut solo effort is a solid entry, while it may lack some variety it still provides a great pop album with strong R&B influences.
70
His vocal skills help pave over the (rare) moments when the lyrics seem a bit juvenile or the sound feels a little too familiar, and help make Mind of Mine an impressive debut.
67
I came out of Mind Of Mine with pretty solid ideas of what these songs sounded like but few recollections of lyrics or choruses. Mind Of Mine is great when it’s on, but it doesn’t linger much.
60
As debut offerings often go, there’s a fervent desire on ‘Mind of Mine’ to stretch so far and wide that the cohesiveness of the record is lumbered as a result.
60
The lesser cuts dilute the best of Malik's launch; nonetheless it's a good start.
5mo
60
Mind of Mine may suffer from this lack of variety, but Malik pulls off his transformation into a brooding, tattooed loverman convincingly.
60
On his first solo album the former 1D singer proves a great voice can only get you so far.
60
There's some genuinely atmospheric moments. It's just presented with such po-faced intensity that it's difficult to take much joy from it.
60
Even on an album of songs I strongly suspect are meant to be soul-baring confessionals, Zayn is unknowable.
60
Sonically, you won’t find many pop albums in 2016 more immaculately conceived than this ... What ZAYN can’t do, though, is give us much reason to care about that Mind of His.
60
His solo re-introduction is a glimpse into his dirtiest thoughts, which, like the thoughts of most 23-year-old boys, are a bit half-baked and corny.
60
By the end of all 14 songs, it doesn't quite feel like the sultry, steamy soundtrack for highly hormonal post-teen fans it was supposed to be; there's just a bit too much clumsy foreplay here weighing down the moments of ecstasy.
60
'Mind of Mine' may not quite live up to the colossal hype, but there's no denying Zayn has created the vibe he wanted here. This is definitely an album you could listen to sat a party with your girl.
59
Lacking compelling hooks, a unifying mood, or a clear narrative, his debut is oddly inflexible and over-calculated.
50
There’s just not enough focus, and promise can only take one so far without differentiation from the artists you’re emulating.
50
As many a former teen heartthrob can attest, slick beats and merely competent balladeering do not a revelatory debut make.
30
It’s ZAYN who’s the real villain here: he might draw on the right influences to make an on-trend album, but he has no sense of delivery. He can hit the notes, but lacks any sense of dynamic.
oN tHiS aLbUm zAyN dElIvErS a bUnCh oF sHitTy bLaNd pOp tRaCkS wHiLe bEiNg qUiRkY aF wItH hOw hE nAmEs hIs tRaCkS
MiNd Of MiNdd (Intro) - 100
PILLOWTALK - 100
iT’s YoU - 100
BeFoUr - 100
sHe - 90
dRuNk - 80
INTERMISSION: fLoWer - 60
rEaR vIeW - 66
wRoNg (feat. Kehlani) - 90
fOoL fOr YoU - 80
BoRdErZ - 70
tRuTh - 60
lUcOzAdE - 70
TiO - 60
BLUE - 64
BRIGHT - 50
LIKE I WOULD - 100
SHE DON'T LOVE ME - 60
I nearly didn't listen to this because of the album art. It put me off, but I'm glad I checked it out. It quickly became one of my favourite R&B/Alternative R&B albums off all time. There are so many good songs. There aren't a lot of albums with a better opening. 'PILLOWTALK' - 'sHe' are all 9-10 out of 10 tracks. And then the deluxe edition ends with six amazingly contagious songs. There is a bit of fat in the middle, but the amount of high points here is rare. A great debut ... read more
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Track List
| 1 | MiNd Of MiNdd (Intro) 0:57 | 71 |
| 2 | PILLOWTALK 3:22 | 87 |
| 3 | iT’s YoU 3:46 | 79 |
| 4 | BeFoUr 3:28 | 84 |
| 5 | sHe 3:09 | 85 |
| 6 | dRuNk 3:25 | 79 |
| 7 | INTERMISSION: fLoWer 1:44 | 66 |
| 8 | rEaR vIeW 3:21 | 72 |
| 9 | wRoNg 3:32 feat. Kehlani | 73 |
| 10 | fOoL fOr YoU 3:22 | 72 |
| 11 | BoRdErZ 3:59 | 72 |
| 12 | tRuTh 4:05 | 67 |
| 13 | lUcOzAdE 4:12 | 78 |
| 14 | TiO 2:58 | 79 |
Total Length: 45 minutes
Year End Lists
| #2 | / | Digital Spy |
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Added on: February 2, 2016