ZAYN has announced his fifth studio album, KONNAKOL, set for release on 17 April 2026 via Mercury Records/Island Records UK. The record is available to pre-order now, with its lead single “Die For Me” arriving this Friday, 6 February.
Described as his most culturally inspired project to date, KONNAKOL sees ZAYN expanding on the pop-forward sound first introduced on his record-breaking debut Mind of Mine. The album draws heavily from his South Asian heritage, reflected in both its sonic palette and visual identity. The snow leopard featured on the album artwork, a powerful symbol across South Asia, has been a recurring motif for fans, first appearing at the end of each show during ZAYN’s recent Las Vegas residency.
Speaking about the album, ZAYN said:
“It’s that time again, I have been lucky enough to make a fifth studio album… KONNAKOL in its definition is the act of creating percussive sounds with one’s voice but what it means to me lies somewhere much deeper. It is a sound that holds the reverberation of a time before words existed. I have always drawn on my heritage for inspiration since I first started making my own music, this album is a development of that understanding, knowing more now than ever, who I am, where I come from and where I intend to go.”
The announcement follows a landmark period for the artist, who recently completed his first-ever Las Vegas residency. During the run, ZAYN debuted and teased unreleased material from KONNAKOL, generating strong early buzz. Variety praised the residency, noting that the singer appears “visibly more secure” while ushering in a new era that “seems packed with commercial potential.”
KONNAKOL arrives after the release of 2024’s critically acclaimed Room Under the Stairs, which was followed by ZAYN’s first solo tour across the US, the UK and Mexico. Most recently, he collaborated with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo on “Eyes Closed,” a global hit that earned a 2026 iHeartRadio Music Award nomination for Favourite K-Pop Collaboration and debuted inside the Top 10 of the Billboard Global Excl. US chart.
With “Die For Me” set to drop later this week, KONNAKOL marks the beginning of a new chapter for ZAYN, one rooted in heritage, identity and evolution.
