Searching up Brent Faiyaz, “ICON” is his newest album displayed as the first result. Now, if you’re a frequent listener of the influential artist, without even pressing play, you can tell this is about to be a different experience from just the song titles.
Brent Faiyaz withdrew his “toxic” influence from R&B and replaced it with a “healed loveboy” outlook on life. Usually, Faiyaz is known for his manipulative lyrics; one of his most popular albums, “Wasteland,” is full of his mastermind toxicity being portrayed in skits as well as songs.
But this version of Brent has matured, leaving out all baggage of his previous life and self; with the beauty of the pursuit of love, with all its anxieties, excitement, and upsets, all to listen for and embodied within the lines of his tracks.
In his album, you discover part of his life’s journey. With the album being only 33 minutes long, including a two-minute orchestral track, all his songs hit straight to the heart.
With his last release, “Larger than Life” back in October of 2023, the audience can recognize his change from an egotistical mainstream singer to a lovestruck, mature man.
Despite widespread minor disappointments in Faiyaz’s lyricism, the cohesion between the 10 songs in “ICON” and the sound overall make it a great album for all lovers of R&B.
“What he does with his albums is important. You know, there are other R&B artists, like Giveon, Daniel Caesar, they have the same type of music as Brent’s,” senior Anthony Battle said. “This way, Brent shows some diversity within R&B.”
Being a very solid album, the way he dances with his vulnerability is something he truly mastered in this collection of songs.
People on social media speculate that there’s a special someone in his life who inspired this change, that what he’s singing is a reality, not just for the listener’s enjoyment.
Brent has yet to confirm this either way; the change shocked the world, and he continued to surprise his fan base with posts of a physical transformation following the album release.
“I’ve seen that, and I think that could definitely be a reason, but I think he’s been with her for years and just now put those feelings in his music,” junior Farid Elmasry said.
This album shows the change in a man throughout his life. There are many messages, but that is the biggest symbol of this album. Getting older changes perspective.
Instead of lustful late-night vibes, Faiyaz gives listeners songs to post their significant moments or relationships.
“I feel like more back then, people knew it’s toxic, it’s toxic R&B artists, but now it’s more of a Michael Jackson vibe, or really understanding in a way,” Battle said.
Now, this is not to say that Brent Faiyaz is a shallow, egotistical artist; he’s had multiple versions of himself. This album embodies what he calls “Sonder”: the profound realization that every random passerby is living a life as vivid, complex, and real as your own, filled with their own ambitions, routines, and worries.
This is a life outlook that Brent Faiyaz started his career with.
Whether you enjoyed this return of love that Brent Faiyaz entailed with “ICON,” or if a previous album was more intriguing, a celebration is well-deserved for a success such as Faiyaz’s.
