Brent Faiyaz Shows Why He’s One of the Most Exciting Voices in R&B on His New Album 'Fuck the World'
By Miles Hagan
Brent Faiyaz is an artist that has been generating buzz for all the right reasons his entire career. The majority of his success and fame has come from impressive features on other artists' work, and strong word of mouth by his more dedicated listeners. Many people were unaware for months that he was the one who lent his angelic vocals to Goldlink’s 2016 hit “Crew”. That chorus sounds just as good today as it did the first time I heard it, and I know I’m not alone in that sentiment. The last we heard from Brent was back in 2017 with his project Sonder Son, which really impressed listeners. As he has grown in popularity throughout the years we have patiently waited for what we would hear next from the DMV singer. When he announced that the title of his upcoming project would be F**k the World, fans were confused and intrigued as it is an interesting title for someone who is so beloved and makes such beautiful music.
Faiyaz does a great job of creating a general “vibe” with his music and F**k the World is no exception. The production across the board is very consistent on this album. He picks and chooses moments to let his voice be the main focus of the track, and at the same time is able to realize when the excellent production deserves to be the star. “Clouded” needs to be talked about and is the clear standout track from the project at least from a sonic standpoint. This is disappointing in a way because it also happens to be one of the shortest songs. The production in the background is initially minimal and very spacey. As we hear Faiyaz’s vocals become stronger and the track really starts taking shape the beats get stronger and by the end it almost sounds triumphant. This song like many others has lyrics that people may feel starkly contrasts the words he is actually saying. Brent’s mentality towards relationships has been described by many as “toxic”, and while that maybe true his undeniable talent lets him get away with some of it. As the album progresses the reasoning for the title begins to make more and more sense. Brent, whether he is dealing with women or haters in and outside of the music industry, seems to have developed a mentality that he is gonna get his by any means. Men lie, women lie, but the numbers don't and that is all he is concerned with and is not afraid to let you know it too.
“Been Away” and the title track showcase something that may be real talent for Brent if he implements out more consistently. The choruses on these two songs are absolute ear candy and will be stuck in your head all day. For my mother's sake I won’t type of what he says on “F**k the World”, but it is one of the most interesting and creative hooks i've heard all year. Overall songs like this and many of the other enjoyable tracks from the album sound like more polished versions of some of the songs on Sonder Son. The project does not overstay its welcome with an abrupt 27 minute run time, so there is also not a lot of time to waste. He gives himself 10 songs to wow us and does so plenty. The runs on “Bluffin” deserve to be talked about, and the phrase “You must be bluffin or you just don’t care” is a sentiment almost anyone can understand. This is also one of the only tracks with a very distinguishable drum pattern which is interesting for an album being released in 2020.
This is a really good album. Brent Faiyaz is one of the most interesting people in the industry and is finally beginning to get the mainstream appeal that he deserves. While in the broader landscape of music this is a very impressive album, for Brent this seems like he’s just further perfecting the sound he has been using his entire career. This is no knock on him, more so just a reason to be excited for what else is to come with the evolution of him as a person and musician. Lyrically people are beginning to take notice of what Faiyaz is saying, and while it may not always be the easiest to support, a guarantee is that it will be witty, relatable, and sound gorgeous if he's the one articulating it. He is near the top when it comes to male R&B and deservingly so. It seems as if he is only scratching the surface of just how amazing he could be and I am very excited to see what he brings us next.
Favorite Tracks:
Clouded
Been Away
Bluffin
Rating: 8
Listen to F**k the World here:
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