On his 31st birthday today, Zayn Malik unwrapped the gift of a soulful Urdu melody. As a touching birthday treat, he serenaded his fans with a track that came as a jubilant embrace of his Pakistani heritage. The magic of his vocals intertwined with the talents of Pakistani artists, AUR in ‘Tu Hai Kahan’. Well, this is not the first time a Western musician has attempted an East-meets-West fusion over the last year. Months ago, Nick Jonas tried his hands at a similar collaboration with Indian artist, King. 

Still, Jonas’ attempt could not match the iconicness of Malik’s new score due to this factor.

What sets apart Zayn Malik and AUR’s collab from Nick Jonas and King’s?

When one listens to Malik’s enchanting ‘Tu Hai Kahan’, it is difficult to distinguish the British artist’s vocals from that of the Pakistani group. This is because the 31-year-old’s verse is a poetic Urdu prose steeped in a traditional vibrato common to Southeast Asian music. On the other hand, Nick Jonas’ ‘Maan Meri Jaan’ was a volley between English and Hindi that interrupted the depth and flow of its lyrics. 

Since the former One Direction member is a native Urdu speaker, his proficiency in the language retained the authenticity of the song. Whereas, the Disney star’s English verses in his collab hijacked the richness of the track. Despite being married to the India-born Baywatch actress, Priyanka Chopra, Jonas’ connection to the East was not reflected in his South Asian debut. 

As for Malik, it can also be said that he had a lot more practice in creating such tracks. 

Malik’s previous renditions of South Asian songs

While ‘Tu Hai Kahan’ is Malik’s first official South Asian track, the artist has created covers of some tracks originating from Indian cinema in the past as well.  The heartthrob unveiled his adaptations of ‘Allah Duhai Hai’ and ‘Allah Ke Bande’ many years ago. Breaking barriers and embracing his roots, both covers were sung in Urdu and carried spiritual undertones. 

The ‘Night Changes’ singer was raised as a Muslim and also speaks Arabic. So, maybe he will venture into collaborating with Middle-Eastern artists one day too. The Bradford native certainly seems ready to ring in the dawn of an era that transcends borders. Especially considering how he sculpted a bridge connecting worlds with each note of his latest track with AUR. 

Do you agree that Zayn Malik outperformed Nick Jonas’ Eastern music debut? Share your thoughts in the comments.