Brent Faiyaz

Brent Faiyaz is a contemporary R&B singer, songwriter, and producer whose sly vocals, frequently applied to atmospheric slow jam productions, resemble a distinctive cross between Slim (of <a href="spotify:artist:7urq0VfqxEYEEiZUkebXT4">112</a>) and <a href="spotify:artist:1Xyo4u8uXC1ZmMpatF05PJ">the Weeknd</a>. Active since the mid-2010s as a solo artist and as one-third of <a href="spotify:artist:2ICR2m4hOBPhaYiZB3rnLW">Sonder</a>, he made a major commercial breakthrough with a featured appearance on <a href="spotify:artist:5XenQ7XfcvQdfIbpLEFaKQ">GoldLink</a>'s multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated "Crew" (2016). He has since issued the independent solo albums Sonder Son (2017) and Top 20 entry Fuck the World (2020). The features-heavy Wasteland (2022) topped the R&B chart and hit number two on the Billboard 200, and was followed by the features-heavy Larger Than Life (2023), his first mixtape.

The Maryland native got started with SoundCloud uploads and within a couple years settled in Los Angeles to further his career. Shortly after he made his commercial debut in 2016 with the A.M. Paradox EP, he was heard on <a href="spotify:artist:5XenQ7XfcvQdfIbpLEFaKQ">GoldLink</a>'s "Crew." The single reached number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100, went triple platinum, was nominated for a Grammy -- in the category of Best Rap/Sung Collaboration -- and was licensed for season two of Insecure. Just before "Crew" was released, Faiyaz, along with producers Atu and Dpat, formed a group called <a href="spotify:artist:2ICR2m4hOBPhaYiZB3rnLW">Sonder</a>, who debuted in early 2017 with the Into EP. Later in the year, Faiyaz released Sonder Son, a full-length recorded during a one-month stay in the Dominican Republic. Another solo EP, Lost, was out in 2018.

Appearances on tracks by <a href="spotify:artist:5dHt1vcEm9qb8fCyLcB3HL">A$AP Ferg</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:4MCBfE4596Uoi2O4DtmEMz">Juice WRLD</a> preceded the February 2020 release of the singer's second album, Fuck the World, which debuted on the Billboard 200 at number 20. Early the following year, Faiyaz and <a href="spotify:artist:5BozIJTTNCufaZpjhy2der">DJ Dahi</a> collaborated on the single "Gravity," which also featured <a href="spotify:artist:4V8LLVI7PbaPR0K2TGSxFF">Tyler, The Creator</a>. "Wasting Time" featuring <a href="spotify:artist:3TVXtAsR1Inumwj472S9r4">Drake</a> arrived a few months later. Both songs appeared on 2022's full-length Wasteland, which also included contributions from <a href="spotify:artist:3DiDSECUqqY1AuBP8qtaIa">Alicia Keys</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:6g0Wah2YFtb1rFgKhUktlo">Raphael Saadiq</a>. The album debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and topped the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. More non-album tracks appeared in 2023, including "Fell in Love" (with <a href="spotify:artist:64KEffDW9EtZ1y2vBYgq8T">Marshmello</a>) and "Moment of Your Life" (featuring <a href="spotify:artist:4DHLoiIqFYYFjH09WduvFd">Coco Jones</a>). That October, Faiyaz -- with support from a new distribution deal -- released the mixtape Moment of Your Life. In addition to "Moment of Your Life," the comparatively outward-looking set included collaborative tracks such as "Last One Left" (featuring <a href="spotify:artist:2wIVse2owClT7go1WT98tk">Missy Elliott</a> and Lil Gray) and "Outside All Night" (with <a href="spotify:artist:13ubrt8QOOCPljQ2FL1Kca">A$AP Rocky</a> and N3WYRKLA), and also contained self-examining material such as the solo "WY@." ~ Andy Kellman