Almost all of them. He is credited on 79 of the 82 tracks across his five solo albums. The three he is not on come from Room Under the Stairs and Konnakol, the two most recent records.
By the Numbers
5
Studio Albums
82
Tracks Credited
96%
Self-Written
16
Years Active
153
Collaborators
Authorship Breakdown 79 / 82 self-written
Who wrote the songs?
Across all 82 tracks: how many Zayn Malik wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.
Zayn Malik has a writing credit96%
96%
4%
Sole author0tracks0%
Co-written79tracks96%
Outside writers3tracks4%
Role Fingerprint how they contribute
Zayn Malik's roles across the catalogue
Share of all 82 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.
Lyricist (words)0%
Composer (music)96%
Producer0%
Performer100%
Authorship Over Time writing credit per album
Zayn Malik's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.
avg 96%
100%
100%
100%
87%
93%
2016Mind of Mine
2018Icarus Falls
2021Nobody Is Listening
2024Room Under the Stairs
2026Konnakol
Early · 100% written
Late · 90% written
Authorship by Decade track-weighted
100%
2010s
Mind of Mine, Icarus Falls
93%
2020s
Nobody Is Listening, Room Under the Stairs +1 more
Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author
Where Zayn Malik sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.
Zayn Malik
Other artists on the site
Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.
Bubble size = tracks worked on together. Showing the 150 most frequent of 152. Z Zayn · M Malay · AO Alexander Oriet · DP David Phelan · S Saltwives
The Authorship Story
Data Insight
He is credited on 79 of his 82 solo tracks. The three exceptions are on Room Under the Stairs and Konnakol, the two most recent albums, which is where the writing rooms open up. Malay is his longest-running partner at 21 tracks, spanning the debut and the 2026 album, with Alexander Oriet and David Phelan on fourteen each in the middle years.
Quick Facts
FromBradford, West Yorkshire, solo since 2015
Self-writtenCredited on 79 of his 82 solo album tracks
Number one"Pillowtalk" topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK chart
Longest albumIcarus Falls runs 96:22 across 27 tracks
Closest collaboratorMalay is credited on 21 of his tracks
Unique recordThe only artist to win Billboard's New Artist of the Year twice
Creative Fingerprint
A writer on nearly everything he has released solo, with one producer, Malay, bookending the decade at either end of it.
The Story
Zayn Malik left One Direction in 2015 and had a Billboard Hot 100 number one with "Pillowtalk" within a year. Five solo albums have followed, from the alternative R&B of Mind of Mine to the country and soft rock of Room Under the Stairs. He is the only artist to win Billboard's New Artist of the Year twice.
Awards & Recognition
American Music Award
MTV Video Music Award
Billboard Music Award, New Artist of the Year (2017), having also won it with One Direction in 2013
Frequently Asked Questions Zayn Malik
Does Zayn write his own songs?
Almost all of them. He is credited on 79 of the 82 tracks across his five solo albums. The three he is not on come from Room Under the Stairs and Konnakol, the two most recent records.
Who wrote "Pillowtalk"?
Zayn with his co-writers on Mind of Mine. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Sweden.
Icarus Falls, a double album running 96:22 across 27 tracks, more than twice the length of anything else he has made.
Who does he work with most?
Malay, credited on 21 tracks across Mind of Mine and Konnakol. Alexander Oriet and David Phelan appear on fourteen each and Daniel Zaidenstadt on thirteen.
How did his sound change on Room Under the Stairs?
It moves to soft rock, soul and country, with Dave Cobb among the producers. His first three albums are pop and R&B.
What awards has he won?
An American Music Award, an MTV Video Music Award, and Billboard's New Artist of the Year in 2017. He had already won that same award with One Direction in 2013, which makes him the only artist to take it twice.
What is his real name?
Zain Javadd Malik, born in Bradford in 1993. He records as Zayn.
Which of his collaborations charted highest?
"I Don't Wanna Live Forever" with Taylor Swift reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Dusk Till Dawn" with Sia reached number five in the UK.
Was he in One Direction?
Yes, until 2015. His One Direction work is credited to the group and is not counted in the figures on this page.