Highlights
- Singer says album title is rooted in Indian heritage and culture
- ‘Konnakol’ refers to a vocal percussion art form from South India
- Malik reveals he layered his own vocals to create drum-like beats
Title rooted in Indian tradition
Zayn Malik has revealed that the title of his forthcoming fifth studio album, Konnakol, is drawn from an Indian musical tradition tied to rhythm and voice.
In comments shared ahead of the album’s release, the singer said the name reflects his Indian heritage and culture. Konnakol is a vocal percussion practice from South Indian Carnatic music, in which performers create complex rhythmic patterns using spoken syllables.
Malik explained that the concept influenced not just the album’s title, but its sound.
Building beats from his own voice
According to the singer, much of the production on Konnakol was created using his own vocals. He said he stacked multiple layers of his voice to form the foundation of the beats, including drum patterns.
The approach mirrors the essence of konnakol, where rhythm is produced through the human voice rather than traditional instruments.
The album, which is due for release on 17 April, will feature 15 tracks. Its lead single, “Die for Me”, was released shortly after the project was announced earlier this month.
A personal and cultural thread
Born in the UK to a Pakistani father and an English mother, Malik has previously spoken about his South Asian background and being raised Muslim. With Konnakol, he appears to be placing that heritage more explicitly at the centre of his work.
The new record arrives nearly a decade after Malik began his solo career following his departure from One Direction in 2015. His debut album, Mind of Mine, reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200, followed by Icarus Falls, Nobody Is Listening and Room Under the Stairs.
Malik is also preparing for a 31-date arena tour across the UK, North America and South America, following a recent seven-night residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in Las Vegas.
