Zayn – Moving In A New Direction

When the screams from the sold-out audience were as loud as the music, it could only mean one thing—Zayn Malik is in town.

As the Bradford-born artist and former One Direction member arrived on stage at the Manchester Apollo, the anticipation, excitement, adrenaline, and enthusiasm from the fans all combined to make the live music experience unforgettable.

The fate of the concert was uncertain: Zayn had to cancel the Newcastle gig an hour before he was scheduled to perform due to vocal issues. Thankfully, things had improved with his vocals being back on form.

His brand of pop has moved on from his former boy band days with a musical template that seemingly is a mix of the soulfulness of James Morrison and the folk-infused Americana rock of Paolo Nutini.

“It feels good to be back up north and to hear the accents; the north is where my roots are,” he said to rapturous applause and, of course, a barrage of deafening screams.

Backed by a seven-piece all-female band, the stage was festooned with trees that could have been inspired by Bradford’s City Park.

The setlist mostly featured songs from his last album, Room Under the Stairs, including It's You, which featured his soulful voice on piano, and Last Request, which was, predictably, a cover of a Paolo Nutini track with a weathered quality to his voice.

His demeanor remained shy throughout, yet he exuded a proud sense of being a worldwide star who had not forgotten his humble beginnings. He kept his stagecraft to a minimum, singing mostly with his eyes closed and hardly moving around the stage, making it hard to realize that this was an artist who played to fans in arenas and stadiums around the globe while in One Direction.

The omission of a concert on his touring schedule in Bradford was apparent; if only Bradford Live, the new concert venue that is yet to open, had been in operation, the concert would have been perfectly placed.

As the concert drew to a close with Alienated and Gates of Hell, it concluded a night where his light never dimmed, only when a tribute to Liam Payne was displayed on the stage with the words, “Love you, bro, did the mood become sombre, giving the audience an opportunity to show their emotion to the recently deceased Payne.

Zayn might not return to stadiums; tonight’s intimacy suited his music and his persona—all together moving in the right direction.