Zayn Malik kicked off his Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live on Tuesday with a set that prioritised deep cuts and new material over chart-topping hits. The former One Direction star performed an unreleased song as the opener, followed by fan favourites from his debut album 'Mind of Mine' that he had never played live before.
Despite battling a dry throat and sinus infection, for which he apologised three times, Zayn delivered pristine vocals and a noticeably stronger stage presence than on his previous tour. Dressed in light-washed jeans and a white tee with a cropped gold-accented jacket, he performed with a full band and backing singers, keeping the focus on the music.
During the 90-minute show, Zayn confirmed a new album is coming soon, telling the audience: 'I got a new record coming for you guys pretty soon. I’m really excited about that.' He debuted five songs from the upcoming fifth album, including the lead single 'Die for Me', a yearning track with Weeknd-esque qualities. Another new song, 'Fatal', featured Zayn singing in Urdu during the chorus.
The residency, which runs until the end of the month, marks a return to regular performing for Zayn after years of anxiety kept him away from the stage. He completed a 21-stop tour in 2024, where he said he 'forgot how much I love doing this.' The intimate 6,500-venue provided a safe space for the singer, who performed songs from his early solo career that had never been played live before.
Zayn closed the show with his biggest solo hit, 'Pillowtalk', but notably avoided any nods to One Direction or superstar duets. The setlist revisited tracks from 'Mind of Mine' like 'She', 'Borderz', and 'It's You', as well as 'Drunk', a cut from 2016 that aligned with current nostalgia trends.
