DUSK TILL’ DAWN
ARTIST: ZAYN ft. SIA
Genre: R&B / Pop
Initially, the news of a collab of ZAYN and Sia came as something as a surprise to me. One is an anonymous powerhouse pop sensation whilst the other is an R&B musician with an impressive vocal range and known for his past as a member of One Direction. However, after listening to ZAYN’s new track ‘Dusk Till Dawn’, it seems to be an unprecedented match made in heaven; for what Sia provides in impressive vocal runs, ZAYN matches and harmonises with effortlessly. The effect is a creation of seamless melodies which seems almost undemanding to sing in a way that only Sia and ZAYN can achieve.
Similarly, the opening notes of the song were somewhat unexpected. The opening of the first verse is a soft piano melody under his raspy voice. This is understandably very different to his typical solo work such as PILLOWTALK or BeFour, both of which are fast tempo, sexy and sultry R&B songs. However, it seems his foray into more acoustic songs plays well in his favour as it enables for his vocal talent to shine through and the sentiment of the lyrics ‘Not tryna be indie/ Not tryna be cool/Just tryna be in this/Tell me are you to?’ to become apparent. It harkens back to his days as a member of One Direction, something which he said he was keen to leave behind, yet as the song progresses, it becomes more and more his own style.
The chorus is an emotional, drum and bass driven section, interlaced with impressive harmonies and finishing with a large vocal run that not many artists other than these two can achieve. It echoes ZAYN’s other works, yet it still allows for the talents of Sia to shine through as she gives her own unique touch to the song.
Overall, the song, although different from what we have come to expect from ZAYN, and initially perhaps unusual, is an impressive work which allows for both of the singers’ talents to shine above the well-crafted melodies of the instruments. These instruments heighten the emotion in both of their voices to create a sonic story of heart-felt devotion, with an easy to follow beat that keeps the listener engaged and in time despite the rapid runs, cutting out at the end of the bridge to truly show the capacity of ZAYNs vocal ability in one soaring note, which although unoriginal in this genre, is still worth listening to and admiring.
I hope ZAYN will explore other types of music like he has here, rather than stick to just tracks like PILLOWTALK, which, as much as I love, can become tedious for both listener and artist. This track is a refreshing example of how he can still remain talented and true to himself whilst still dipping his toe into other aspects of Pop and R&B.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
