Neglect all the things you thought you knew about genre-breaking collaborations. The announcement that BLACKPINK’s JISOO and former One Path member Zayn Malik had been releasing a duet, “Eyes Closed,” was met with preliminary disbelief, rapidly adopted by fervent anticipation.
Now that it’s right here, the observe doesn’t simply meet expectations. It sidesteps them completely, providing one thing much more intimate and musically attention-grabbing.
The backstory alone seems like one thing out of a pop fan’s dream. The seeds had been planted when Zayn, alongside his daughter Khai, was noticed at BLACKPINK’s Deadline World Tour in New York this previous July.
That informal outing clearly sparked a artistic fireplace. When Zayn later teased a “cool collaborator” on a stay stream, the rumor mill, for as soon as, was proper.
So, what does this powerhouse pairing truly sound like? “Eyes Closed” is a superb showcase of refined chemistry.
This isn’t a bombastic pop anthem however a modern, R&B-infused dialog. JISOO’s vocals, crystal-clear and extra assured in her English supply than ever, open the observe with a weak heat.
Then Zayn’s unmistakable tenor slides in, to not compete, however to finish the thought. Their voices don’t simply take turns.
They intertwine, creating harmonies that really feel natural and earned, a credit score to vocal producer Mischke Butler.
The manufacturing, spearheaded by The Monsters & Strangerz, is wise sufficient to get out of their method. It creates a minimalist backdrop that places the main focus squarely on the vocals, constructed round a heat, surprising nation chord development that offers the observe its soulful, timeless really feel.
This basis of heat acoustic tones and a refined synth pulse gives the right area for each artists to shine.
The accompanying music video leans right into a modern, “Passengers”-esque aesthetic, framing the duo as remoted vacationers in a retro-futuristic spaceship.
Whereas the Google Gemini product placement feels a bit on-the-nose, the visible efficiently highlights the tune’s core: the palpable chemistry between two artists sharing a confined, introspective area.
The video’s influence is plain, amassing over 2.2 million views on YouTube inside simply 4 hours of its launch.
What really units “Eyes Closed” aside is its billing as a real joint effort, not a mere function. Each names share equal weight on the credit, and each artists are current all through the whole observe and video. It is a collaboration of mutual respect, not comfort.
Since its launch, the numbers have spoken, with tens of millions of views and streams. However the fan reactions are much more telling.
The dialog has rapidly moved from “I can not consider this exists” to dissecting the nuanced vocal layers and the relatable theme of weak love.
“Eyes Closed” works as a result of JISOO and Zayn are each artists who’ve efficiently carved out identities past their iconic teams. They didn’t want to do that tune, which is exactly why it feels so important.
It’s the sound of two stars, safe in their very own lanes, deciding to satisfy within the center for a second of beautiful, quiet magnificence.
