ZAYN returns today with a new single titled “Let Me,” which fuses poppy guitar riffs with soothing R&B beats. It’s his first release since his Sia collaboration “Dusk Till Dawn,” as well as the first solo followup to his 2016 album Mind Of Mine. The song is expected to appear on his forthcoming sophomore album, but there’s no official LP title or release date yet.
“Let Me” was shared alongside a cinematic video directed by Jose Padilha (Netflix’s Narcos), and also serves as the sequel to the mob-inspired video for “Dusk Till Dawn.”
In the new video, ZAYN stars as a crime member who falls in love with the girlfriend of his seedy boss–portrayed by Steven Bauer (Scarface, Traffic). The actress who plays the girlfriend also resembles Gigi Hadid, who dated ZAYN up until their breakup last month.
Hadid has inspired ZAYN’s music in the past and stars alongside the singer in videos for tracks like “PILLOWTALK” and “sHe.” After years of dating on-and-off, ZAYN and Hadid confirmed in March that their relationship officially ended. The lyrics on “Let Me” leaves many fans wondering if the song is about Hadid, and fans have also pointed out the Hadid look-alike on Twitter and in the music video’s YouTube comments.
Throughout the Khaled Rohaim and MYKL-produced song, ZAYN sings about an unrequited relationship and pleads on the chorus:
Baby, let me be your man (let me be your man)
So I can love you (I can love you)
And if you let me be your man (let me be your man)
Then I’ll take care of you (I can love you)
Ahead of the single’s release, ZAYN spoke to BBC Radio 1 where he confirmed a new solo album is in the works. He also spoke about overcoming anxiety this past year and how he’s striving to release more authentic music:
I was just putting out a record and not really being as prominent as I wanted to be. But this time around I feel like I am more confident and I really believe in what’s going on, so I want to convey that to my fans.
Listen to the song above and read all the lyrics to ZAYN’s “Let Me” on Genius now.
