Standout British urban-pop singer ZAYN enlists four-time Grammy-winning rapper/producer Timbaland for his fourth single of 2018, “Too Much.”

After releasing the smoky, imperfect “Sour Diesel”, British urban-pop artist ZAYN returns with another new single, “Too Much.” This time, he’s got quite the esteemed featured guest alongside him, Timbaland.  “Too Much” features sleek urban contemporary/urban-pop production, which suits ZAYN superbly.  That said, the beginning of the record feels abrupt – it would’ve been nice to have had an instrumental intro to better prepare the listeners.  But, it’s not the end of the world.

Moving on, ZAYN is swearing again.  It doesn’t take long for him to drop the bomb.  He loves it so much that it occurs on both verses of the song.  On the first verse, he sings, “I think we met and the time flies / I took your digits a while back / I think we f**ked in the flashback / Won’t leave my mind, kinda sidetracked…” So, the context is sexual there.  On the second verse, he sings, “I never meant to, but I did though / I gotta keep it on the d-low / Then again, what the f**k do I know / You’re always on my mind so.” Merely an intensifier in the context.  Of course, analyzing ZAYN f-bombs is “much ado about nothing,” #Shakespeare.  His vocals are a bit more nonchalant on the verses, while he ‘brings the heat’ with his falsetto on the chorus.

“I guess I want too much (too much) / I just want love and lust / You just can’t love enough / That’s why I need a touch…”

Of course, prior to the chorus, there’s the matter of Timbaland, who sings on the pre-chorus.  It’s a bit sketchy in my opinion. It’s quite the contrast from ZAYN, expectedly, and while contrast is a pro, Timbaland simply isn’t as slick or as smooth as Z. Perhaps it’s a bit too different…

“Must be an addiction / I wanted it all, didn’t expect it to fall / Must be an affliction / I wanted to call, but I didn’t call / Now it’s keepin’ me up night and day / Keepin’ me up night and day / Must be an addiction / Now there’s nothin’ I can say but.”

Among the best moments of “Too Much” comes on the bridge, which references cocaine.  Yes, drugs are bad, but, the wordplay is clever.

“When the room becomes a game we play / White lines they seem to turn to snakes / I guess I’ll turn you ‘way / Say white lies to your face / You know I know my place.”

Final Thoughts

So, how does “Too Much” stack up? It definitely eclipses “Sour Diesel,” which is interesting, but imperfectly executed.  “Too Much” doesn’t necessarily beat out “Let Me”, still his best single of 2018.  This is an enjoyable offering, but not without its flaws.  Still, it definitely makes you wonder what a sophomore LP from ZAYN will ultimately sound like.

ZAYN • Too Much (Ft. Timbaland) – Single • RCA • Release: 8.2.18

Photo Credit: RCA