One of the best things in music for me is when a top artist in my opinion drops a new album out of nowhere. That happened last month when Brent Faiyaz released his new album Icon. Brent Faiyaz is someone who has always been on the outskirts of mainstream R&B music. Even though he is just as popular as some of the genre’s biggest artists, it has always felt like he is adjacent to it. Brent Faiyaz has put out some of the coolest and most individualistic R&B music of the last 5-10 years. His music always stands out, not only for its instrumentals but also for Brent’s vocals. Brent Faiyaz’s last two projects, 2022’s Wasteland and 2023’s Larger Than Life, were both polarizing according to the general public. Some people can’t get behind his weird production and unique vocals, which I can see but don’t agree with. Brent carves his own lane vocally and sonically. Also, he always tells a vivid story with his music(whether or not the message is positive). Below, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite tracks from Icon, and then give some overall thoughts on it as a whole. Please let me know in the comments what you think of Brent Faiyaz’s Icon.

wrong faces.

‘wrong faces.’ is a track that shows the diversity Brent is trying to display on this project. It has a sound and style that are pretty dissimilar to what one would probably expect from Brent. The instrumental feels inspired by early 2000s R&B music. When I hear this one, it makes me think of Usher’s music from back in the day. The guitar riff that drives this one is so warm and relaxing. The melody is pretty simple, being provided by that guitar riff and a bassline that matches the tone. The beat is laid-back and has a pattern that brings that early Usher music to mind. Brent Faiyaz’s vocals on this one are not his most enthralling, but the calm nature with which he sings with goes very nicely with the instrumental. On ‘wrong faces.,’ Brent sings wonders why his girl chose him, and wants to show her why she should stay. 

butterflies.

‘butterflies.’ is the song from this record that has gained the most traction over the last month or so since the album dropped. I definitely can understand why that is the case. This song kind of goes against the grain of what one would probably expect to hear from Brent Faiyaz. The production feels more akin to the music of Miguel. The instrumental is driven by a slow, groovy bassline that is very old-school. It is complemented by some light and bright synths, as well as some nice backing vocals. Brent Faiyaz’s vocal performance on this track is pretty low-key. The high notes he hits are nice, and the breathy tone he sings with fits the tempo. The song does get pitched-up and sped up at the end, which adds some life to close the song. On ‘butterflies.,’ Miguel sings about how he is falling in love and becoming infatuated with his new girl. 

other side.

‘other side.’ is another track that goes against what one would probably expect from Brent. There have been comparisons to The Weeknd from a lot of people about this record, and songs like ‘other side.’ are definitely where that stems from. This is a fast and funky Pop song with a retro R&B tint to it. The bassline that drives this one is upbeat and fun. The guitar riff that complements it has a 1980s New Wave sound that is so nostalgic. The beat also has that New Wave flair to it. Brent’s vocals on this song are great. The high notes he hits add texture, and his character on the track matches the instrumental nicely. On ‘other side.,’ Brent Faiyaz sings about how the girl he is into is so heavenly that he feels like she is not from this earth. 

world is yours.

‘world’ is yours.’ is another song that definitely goes against what one would expect to hear from Brent Faiyaz. It is a track that has a decidedly old-school tint to it that is pretty damn cool. This one feels directly inspired by retro R&B music. Specifically, I can hear the 1990s on this one. The synths that drive the melody are so bright and sweet. When paired with this beat, it gives the song a feeling that is so akin to artists like Boyz 2 Men or Jodeci. The guitar riff that closes out the track really sends the song out nicely. ‘world is yours.’ does not have Brent’s most dynamic vocals of the project, but he does match the energy of the instrumental with his tone and flow. On ‘world is yours.,’ Brent Faiyaz sings about how he will give his girl everything she could want if she stays true to him. 

four seasons.

Out of everything on this record, ‘four seasons.’ feels the most similar to what Brent Faiyaz is known for. OG fans of his music should love this one. ‘four seasons.’ has a sound and energy that feels so similar to Brent’s album Wasteland. The melody for this track is very light and sweet. It has an ethereal feeling and tone. Like a lot of the instrumentals on Wasteland, it sounds like it is being provided by a string quartet. The beat is slow and methodical, and gives a very deliberate feeling to the track. This may have been Brent’s best vocal performance on the record. His tone and range are just great, and he has a bit of a rap flow that gives the song such a cool texture. The lyricism on this song has that toxicity Brent has become known for. On ‘four seasons.,’ Brent is just as mean and accusing as he is welcoming. 

pure fantasy.

‘pure fantasy.’ is another track that brings the 1990s to the forefront. This one may feel more inspired by the 1990s than anything here, which is saying a lot. ‘pure fantasy.’ has a Boom-Bap tempo to it that really stands out and pops. The instrumental for this one makes me think of artists like Blackstreet or Bobby Brown. The melody is driven by a groovy bassline and is complemented by some soothing synths. The beat goes so well with that groovy bassline, and takes the funky retro R&B feeling to the next level. Brent’s vocals fit this instrumental so well. His tone glides on this instrumental, and the high notes he hits give the song an extra bit of life. On ‘pure fantasy.,’ Brent sings about how his girl is everything he could want and need in a significant other. 

As someone who is a pretty big fan of Brent Faiyaz(as you can tell from the introduction), I was definitely thrilled when Icon dropped out of nowhere. Like it goes with most of his projects, the reception on Icon was pretty polarizing. He is always someone who goes against the grain, and loves to push the limits with his sound. Icon was no different in that regard. In fact, you could say Brent pushed himself on this album more than he ever has. Some of the comparisons I made on the songs I picked above allude to the changes on this record compared to his last releases. On Icon, Brent ventures away from the quirky R&B Trap he is known for on quite a few tracks. There are a few songs on the record that fall into that category, but the majority sees him go in a different direction. The other sounds Brent explores on this album have a more old-school feel. There are sounds from the 1990s and early 2000s, and even a bit of some 1970s influence mixed in. I have seen multiple comparisons to The Weeknd(which I mentioned above), and I can definitely see where that comes from. Although some people were put off, I actually like this direction from Brent a lot, as it made him expand on his vocal style even more than usual. Brent’s vocal style has always been so distinct, and that is especially the case with the songs from Icon with that older sound. It did not work for all listeners, but it worked for me. It’s also always cool to see an artist go way out of their comfort zone. As always Brent’s pen game on Icon is great. The petty yet warm style he writes with is on full display. On some songs, he seems so accusatory. On others, he seems so loving. Overall, Icon is a lot different from what was expected from Brent, and it is a more than worthy venture into something new for him. This was a cool project from one of R&B’s most one-of-a-kind artists, and it is one I know I’ll be coming back to a lot.