There’s no doubt Zayn Malik has made a name for himself in the pop scene as we heard with his explosive single “Pillowtalk”. But this time, he lends his vocals to Snakehips, a British electronic/R&B duo who are also responsible for the catchy anthem, “All My Friends.”
Malik’s vocal prowess is as powerful as ever. In the boppy light chorus he sings, “It’s such a cruel, world, saving all my love for you.” A balance between electro-pop and R&B is right where he fits perfectly. Snakehips keep their sound fresh and new age along with their energetic clap beats, as we hear on this one.
Fellow pop singer, Troye Sivan tweeted about his love for the new song saying, “alright Cruel by @snakehipsuk ft @zaynmalik has one of the best choruses of 2016.” I AGREE. Snakehips should be plaguing radio stations with this one
The lyrics are electric modern love. Even with all the madness happening in the world, he can’t help but be bothered with her presence, it’s quite beautiful actually. “Noise and tears, death on the TV, and then there’s you…I can’t concentrate, I just see your outline.” Later on, he refers to her body as “CCTV” (closed circuit television/surveillance footage) replaying in his head. Although the lyrics are quite mature, the chorus has a child-like quality that is easy to sing-along to and mimic.
Music blogger 