The voice of Brent Fayiaz captured me instantly, immediatly I was transcended into a different space and mind. His velvet vocals gripped me it's soft warm grasp. Like a drug I was hooked, I searched endlessly for all his tracks on spotify. Whether he was singing as apart of the band Sonder or on his debut album Sonder Son. I was transfixed, his lyrics captivated me.
When I heard about his new album release, to say I was 'excited' would be a complete understatement. I just cannot get enough of the Fayiaz. I was shocked to find that 'F**k The World' was a whole different vibe from the previous Brent I had known.
I bumped his new at album at my desk job, I didn't know what to expect. It was a dreary monday afternoon, I needed to feel something. So, I decided to test this out. The first track which hit me was 'Let me Know', and immediatly I was met with the realness I had been craving. 'How can I love when they tell me I can't love myself'. In the words of the great Love Islander Eyal, I thought 'rah'. How has this man recognised feelings in me, I didn't know I had?
Despite his smooth sultry voice of any RnB singer. The lyrics is what sets Brent apart from any other. The hook repeats 'Who Can I love when they tell me I can't love myself?' This song, I feel was very reflective of many people's struggles with self belief. There is a narrative in society which teaches us to compete. In order to get recognition and praise, we have to be the best in everything we do. These societal pressures, can often lead to a pressure in our minds. A continuing self doubt and almost an arrogance conjured up in order to protect ourselves from the judement of others. I felt this song resonated with me in someway. I view myself as a very ambitous person. Also as a young 20 year old, my vocation takes centre stage in my life. This song is very refreshing, and shines apart from the lovey dovey RnB I am used to.
Similar to all his other albums, his lyrics were just the truth. Not littered with methaphors and imagery, but of dialogue and observation. His straighforward and sometimes brash lyrics really made this album stand out from his previous works. In his albums 'A.M Paradox' and 'Sonder Son'. Brent mainly sings about his struggles and complex romantic relationships. In his 2018 album 'Lost' he touches on his personal struggles in 'Why'z It So Hard' and 'Around Me'.
Yet something is different about this...
In 'F**k The World' his songs are solely about his personal career and his demons. It was intresting to see an artist speak so candidly about themselves in their work.
In his previous tracks like 'So Far Gone' and 'L.A', there seemed to be a deep sense of guilt and sadness in his voice. The sadness remains, yet the guilt is gone. It is replaced with an unapologetic tone. The chorous and title of one of the songs is litreally 'Fuck the World'.
This new attitude can be heard in his voice, this man no longer cares about others opinions. This carefree new attitude is just what I needed, in a time where I felt held back by my own anxieties. It was refreshing to hear songs not about endless love, money, fortune or anything else. Lyrics about someone else's inner feelings and thoughts, I could liken to my own. Was litreally 'Music to my ears'.
One of the tracks, you can hear Brent say something along the lines of 'If you aren't an empathatic narcissist, have overindugent tendancies in sex and drugs, then you won't get it'.
I can assure you, I don't indulge in any of those things. I still got it though.
Sample the tracks here: Fuck the World