Zayn, "Pillowtalk"

Zayn, "Pillowtalk"

Expectations were sky-high for the first single from One Direction’s first member to go solo, and by breaking away from shiny pop-rock, new R&B disciple Zayn Malik delivered. “Pillowtalk” is a classic example of grown-up child star screaming “I’m having sex now!” into a microphone, but the single convincingly smolders during its drum-heavy hook, and Zayn’s quivering proclamations of “seeing the pain, seeing the pleasure”

successfully break him free of his boy-band roots – and introduced him to the top of the Hot 100 before any of his former bandmates. — J. Lipshutz