Zayn Malik is a man of few words, many tattoos, but only one direction: his direction. The newly-blond pop star enjoys giving us very subtle clues about his next moves, and we are getting out our magnifying glasses to seek out his newest endeavour. And he may have just given us a huge clue that he’s about to drop some new tunes.
Let’s examine the evidence. Malik uploaded a new video to his Instagram. It’s more cryptic than usual, and that’s saying something. As the video begins, we see Malik sitting in a luxe armchair, his mouth opening as if he’s about to say something. Before he can speak, the video immediately cuts to a scene of him carrying a carrying a suitcase. Through flashes of action, we see him holding that suitcase as he walks towards a boat, speaks onto a payphone, and enters a hotel room (presumably where the armchair scene takes place). Just as quickly, the video enters rewind, and we see everything happening backward. As a gunshot sounds, the words “the story continues” and “coming soon” ominously flash onto the screen.
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There is no music in the short video. There isn’t even any dialogue, and the footage is purposefully cut in a way that makes it impossible to determine what is happening. Still, we can ascertain a few things.
First, Malik’s next ... whatever it is, will probably include some kind of storyline. The suitcase, speed boat, and pay phone all point to some kind of crime story. Ooh, maybe a heist story? How exciting! The lack of any music points to the exact opposite conclusion: music might play a huge part, and he’s saving it all for when he’s ready to roll out the singles.
Honestly, if Malik is dropping a criminal fugitive concept album, we’re here for it, and will follow him until the police catch up the speed boat. Then we will deny knowing him as we dump the contents of the suitcase into the water.