ZAYN announces upcoming album ‘KONNAKOL’

ZAYN has officially announced his highly anticipated fifth studio album, KONNAKOL–translates to “reciting the rhythmic syllables–set for release on April 17, 2026 via Mercury Records. The album is available for pre-order now, with its lead single, “Die For Me,” arriving this Friday, February 6.

Marking his most culturally inspired body of work to date, KONNAKOL sees ZAYN expanding on the pop-forward foundation first introduced on his record-breaking debut album, Mind of Mine. The album’s title draws from the South Indian vocal percussion art form of the same name—a concept that resonates throughout the project.

Visually, KONNAKOL is anchored by striking album artwork featuring half portrait and half snow leopard, a powerful symbol in South Asia. The imagery reflects the deep influence of ZAYN’s heritage on the record and serves as a meaningful callback for longtime fans. Speaking on the album, ZAYN shared:

“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 arrives on the heels of his first-ever Las Vegas residency. During the run, he debuted and teased unreleased material from KONNAKOL, offering fans an early glimpse into the album’s sound and direction.

ZAYN has also teased a world tour announcing (what fans can hope) soon.

Most recently, ZAYN teamed up with BLACKPINK’s Jisoo on “Eyes Closed,” which earned a 2026 iHeartRadio Music Award nomination for Favorite K-Pop Collaboration and debuted at #10 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart with 43.9 million streams in its first week.