Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Zayn Malik makes history as first UK male soloist to debut at number one in UK and US

The last UK act to do the same was Malik's former boy band One Direction with their 2012 album, Up All Night

Clarisse Loughrey
Monday 04 April 2016 09:02 EDT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Zayn Malik is never looking back to his former boy band days; it's certain now, as he becomes the first ever UK male artist to debut at the top of both the UK and US album charts.

His debut solo album Mind of Mine, released exactly one year after his departure from One Direction, secured the top spot in both territories in its first week; making him the only UK male solo artist to have achieved such a feat. This follows a largely positive reaction to the album; though critics have pointed out his reliance on pop structures, he's certainly been labelled as one to watch in the future.

The last UK act to do the same was Malik's former boy band One Direction with their 2012 album, Up All Night. The record follows the tremendous success of his debut single "Pillow Talk"; which hit number one in 60 countries. It also debuted at number one in the US, surpassing One Direction's highest debut entry at number two.

Malik performed his third released single from Mind of Mine, entitled "Like I Would", at the iHeartRadio awards in Los Angeles on 3 April.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in