The Incorporation of Greek Mythology in Zayn Malik’s Music

Zayn Malik, an English singer and songwriter, became introduced into the music world after auditioning for The X Factor and becoming a member of one of the best-selling boybands in music history, One Direction. After being in the band for five years, Malik left One Direction to pursue a career as a solo artist. He adopted a more alternative R&B music style in his first solo album. He continued to implement this style in his other works, ultimately straying from the typical boy band pop music to perform a genre of music that resonated more with his personal style. “Pillowtalk” from his first album titled Mind of Mine (2016) became the first song and album written by a British male to debut at number one in the United States and the United Kingdom. Zayn has continued to produce internationally successful music, including making collaborative songs with popular artists such as Taylor Swift and Sia. 

Malik has used references to Greek mythology in his music to create an emotional response from listeners as seen in his second studio album titled Icarus Falls (2018). Icarus Falls holds an emotional treasure trove of songs including one by the name of “Icarus Interlude”. The title of this song refers to the well-known Greek mythological figure known as Icarus, who flew too close to the sun and thus fell to his death. In the first verse of this song, Malik likens himself to Icarus by saying, “Call me Icarus, I guess I flew too close to the sun.” The sun he is referring to is a metaphor for fame and fortune as he goes on to talk about Yves Saint Laurent, which is a high-end luxury brand, and becoming a famous legend. He then repeats himself by saying there is no stopping his pursuit of success, even if he ends up damaging himself in the process. The reference to Icarus in this particular song serves as a warning that overreaching can ultimately lead to danger, discontentment, and discouragement. This song essentially explores the complexity of success, love, and the emotional toll that fame has taken upon Malik. 

“Back to Life,” is another song on this album, with ties to the story of Icarus. Malik presents himself as a man who has been flying too long, hinting once again at the story of Icarus. In this song, Malik discusses how he has been burning up for so long, and the only thing to save him is his true love. This song begins with Malik reflecting on his prideful nature, forgetting what it is like to be humble thus leading to his downfall because he refused to listen to his true love. This mimics the story of Icarus when he flew too close to the sun despite listening to his father’s warnings, ultimately plummeting to his demise. Malik recognizes that he has been prideful, and he needs to be brought back to life as he has been burned by fame and popularity due to his prideful nature. 

In another song titled, “Flight of the Stars,” Malik refers to the woman as the sun, his demise, who burns so bright that he cannot help but come close to her despite the flaming heat that he feels when he is near her. In yet another song in this album titled “I Don’t Mind,” Malik mentions that he does not mind falling again if he gets to fly in order to escape his island even if the light blows him up. This pulls directly from Icarus’s story, as Icarus made his wings to escape the Island of Crete; however, Malik’s island is the safety of his home. In this song, the woman once again represents the sun, and Malik does not care if she burns him because he desires deeply to escape his island even though he knows he will fall again. 

Throughout the album, Malik references the story of Icarus to symbolize what happens when he disobeys his conscience which ultimately leads to him getting “burned” by women, fame, and pride. The cover image of this album is wings that have been partially burned, referencing the burning of Icarus’s wings. Malik cleverly titled his album Icarus Falls as each of his songs takes the listener on an emotional journey of reaching a high, followed by a plummet to rock bottom due to injury, mocking the story of Icarus’s infamous ascent to the sun and ultimate demise. Malik uses this allegory to reflect how chasing after fame and indulgence in relationships ultimately leads to personal destruction.