Will Zayn Malik's "Pillowtalk" Be On Spotify?

The former One Direction member is finally starting to release his solo music; Zayn Malik announced that his first single "Pillowtalk" will be out on Friday, Jan. 29. Further details about the upcoming release, including whether Zayn Malik will release "Pillowtalk" on Spotify, are still up in the air.

Malik made the announcement about the single on Twitter by posting the song's sexy shirtless album art. As you can probably imagine from the artwork and the name, "Pillowtalk" is going to be a pretty sexual song. Malik told the Sunday Times that he's “pretty black and white about what it’s about." He went on to explain, "Everybody has sex, and it’s something people want to hear about. It’s part of everybody’s life, a very BIG part of life! And you don’t want to sweep it under the carpet. It has to be talked about.”

This is exiting news, both because of the subject matter and because it's one of the first glimpses we've had of Malik's new sound. The only previous sampling has been a clip of the song "Befour." Excited fans might be wondering how they're going to be able to listen to the new single. I know that whenever I hear about a new release, I hope that it will be immediately available on Spotify, where I listen to most of my music.

Malik has not revealed where his new single will be available to download or stream. However, his history with prior releases provides a couple of clues. One Direction's catalogue is available on Spotify, and the band has even been involved with promoting the streaming service. Back in August, Malik got into a bit of a Twitter feud with Calvin Harris about Taylor Swift's decision to take her music off of Spotify, with Malik implying that Swift's choice was unfair to fans. If Malik has that perspective on and history with Spotify, it seems likely that he will release all his forthcoming music on the platform.

However, I am slightly worried that Malik's new persona might make him want to go rogue with his releases. It was, after all, One Direction that released its music on Spotify, and Malik has made clear that he no longer wants anything to do with his former band. I can imagine Malik taking the more indie route and only releasing it on Soundcloud; that is, after all, what happened with the Naughty Boy single he appeared on. But Malik's Taylor Swift beef was post-One Direction, so that's a good sign that he doesn't associate his former band with the streaming service.

Will Malik stay loyal to Spotify or branch out with his new releases? Spotify users can only hope that Malik will release "Pillowtalk," as well as his debut album, on the platform. I think the outlook is good.