Brent Fiyaz
Fuck The World (2020)
A legendary R&B record. Fiyaz didn’t sound like anyone else to me since the beginning. As I’ve said before, most R&B can feel like lullabies for sleep. Repetitive, monotone melodies with one-dimensional writing. Fiyaz cultivates a dark, atmospheric space using bass melodies, synth, vocal harmonies, layered drums, and moody, bold writing. It’s impossible to be bored listening to Brent. Fuck The World, as the title implies, deals with some of the world’s toughest questions - in the flowiest, sexiest way. He is seducing you with his singing, hes flexing on you in his raps, he is hypnotizing you with his layered choir-like singing. He never shies away from telling you how it is. From what he wants. From how he feels. This album was also the first time I noticed his remarkable use of monologues, sound effects, and speaking interludes. The ability to make the most of these elements have continued to set his work apart. (PS. it is a crime that Bluffin’ is among the least-streamed tracks on the album).
Wasteland (2022)
An awesome album. Even more varied and diverse than his previous work. Keeps you guessing down to the damn skits (which are a whole dramatic cinematic production in themselves). His sound evolved here, ever so slightly away from soul and towards an edgier-alt sound. He traded sleepy for cinematic. Sonically, this album sounds like mystery. Sneaking around. A little creepy. It is his sound on a bigger scale. Of course, the sound effects and skits continued to shine here. Fiyaz said he wanted the record to feel like a story, rather than a playlist. Skits add dimension. That being said, his are by far the most advanced I have come across. More than anything, I think Fiyaz’s writing came through on this album. He balanced more upbeat, catchy melodies while maintaining good storytelling. Compared to Fuck The World, it also makes sense because he is tackling far smaller problems on this record. Rather than taking on the world’s biggest problems, Fiyaz is working through fame on his first record since really taking off in 2020.
Larger Than Life (2023)
If Fuck The World was sleepy and Wasteland was cinematic, Larger Than Life was a blast to the past. The 90’s / 2000’s egde ensured it did not sound like his previous work. While it’s arguably his least soulful, it is also arguably his most fun to listen to. The production was fantastic and, while I do usually appreciate Fiyaz’s skits, it was nice to get an album that I could listen to all the way through without long talking interludes. There is a considerable amount of speaking weaved into the tracks, but it is done in a way that lets the melodies flow into one another, rather than being seperated by skits (as was arguably done in Wasteland). This is largely the reason that many call Larger Than Life Fiyaz’s most cohesive record to date.
