Zayn Steps Onto Rock, Americana/Folk Album Charts With ‘Room Under the Stairs’

Zayn returns to Billboard’s charts with his first album in more than three years, and with a shift in sonics, as his fourth LP, Room Under the Stairs, debuts at No. 3 on the Top Album Sales survey (dated June 1). It also opens at No. 4 on Top Rock Albums and No. 5 on both Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Americana/Folk Albums, marking his first foray onto those rankings.

On the all-genre Billboard 200, the album debuts at No. 15. Released May 17, it earned 29,000 equivalent album units, with 24,000 in album sales, in the U.S. in the week ending May 23, according to Luminate.

The set was largely produced by Dave Cobb, who previously produced albums by artists including Brandi Carlile, Jason Isbell and Chris Stapleton.

“I was pretty much on my farm having a glass of whiskey and listening to a bit of Stapleton by the fire with my dog, playing guitar,” Zayn recently told Nylon of the album’s inspiration. “People are in search of a little bit more depth from the lyrics,” he mused. About Stapleton, he said, “He’s got class, right? He’s telling you a real grown man’s story. I was like, ‘This is cool. It’s something I can do.’ ”

The new collection is Zayn’s first on Mercury/Republic, after his first three pop-focused albums were issued by RCA. Nobody Is Listening hit No. 44 on the Billboard 200 in January 2021, Icarus Falls reached No. 61 in December 2018 and Mind of Mine, his first LP after leaving One Direction, soared in at No. 1 in April 2016.

Before Zayn went solo, One Direction released four LPs, all of which hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in 2012-14.