"Sideways" is a song by the English singer Zayn. It was released on 27 March 2026 through Mercury Records as the second single from his fifth studio album, Konnakol (2026). Zayn wrote the song with producers Jesse Shatkin, Stefan Johnson and Jordan K. Johnson of the Monsters & Strangerz, and Oliver Peterhof, along with Mozella.
Composition "Sideways" was written by Zayn himself, Jesse Shatkin, Stefan Johnson and Jordan K. Johnson of the Monsters & Strangerz, and Oliver Peterhof, along with Mozella. It was produced by all of them, minus the former and latter. Described as an "intimate R&Bnumber", the lyrics find Zayn reflecting on a relationship with a previous partner: "I miss lookin' at you sideways/ face-to-face with your lips on mine".
Critical reception Sam Williams of UDiscoverMusic described the track as a "an atmospheric pop R&B track that showcases the musician’s breathy falsetto". Bandwagon Asia wrote that Zayn does a good job "capturing the longing and desperation of missing some who used to be a constant in your life".
Music video The music video for "Sideways" premiered on 27 March 2026. Visually, the video sees Zayn lying sideways in a bed almost the entire time, depicting himself pretending to be looking at a potential lover.
Personnel Credits for "Sideways" adapted from digital liner notes.
Musicians Zayn – vocals Jesse Shatkin – drums, keyboards, programming, strings Jordan Johnson – drums, keyboards, programming, guitar, strings Stefan Johnson – drums, keyboards, programming, guitar, strings Oliver Peterhof – drums, keyboards, programming, guitar, strings Erick Serna – guitar
Production Jesse Shatkin – producer, engineer Stefan Johnson – producer, engineer Jordan Johnson – producer German – producer, engineer Bryce Bordone – engineer Stefan Johnson – engineer Brady Wortzel – additional engineer Samuel Dent – additional engineer Alex Ghenea – mixing Christian "C" Johnson – production coordination David "Dsilb" Silberstein – production coordination Jeremy "Jboogs" Levin – production coordination
Charts + Weekly chart performance Chart (2026) Peak position New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) 30 Nigeria Airplay (TurnTable) 76 Suriname (Nationale Top 40) 13 UK British Asian (OCC) 1
Release history + Release history Region Date Formats Label Various 27 March 2026 Mercury Italy 2 April 2026 Radio airplay Island
References