One to watch: Brent Faiyaz | R&B

In certain corners of the internet there are running jokes about dating men who listen to Brent Faiyaz: if they like the Maryland singer-songwriter’s music, the memes go, odds are you’re getting your heart broken. And given his slinky, carnal brand of R&B, and deliciously toxic lyrics such as: “Darling, I don’t wish you well/ When you ain’t with me, I want you crying” and “It’s your fault for loving me/ You put your trust in me/ And I didn’t ask”, perhaps the jokes aren’t wrong.

Even if Faiyaz’s name isn’t yet a familiar one, odds are you’ve heard his smooth, unfaltering voice, his dreamy harmonies and smoky, pulsing production (and, yes, those lyrics). He initially emerged as the vocalist in the group Sonder; got a Grammy nomination for his feature on GoldLink’s 2016 track Crew; and last year made a mesmerising appearance on Tyler, the Creator’s Sweet/ I Thought You Wanted to Dance. Faiyaz’s own single Gravity – with Tyler returning the honours – went viral thanks to TikTok and the hook: “Don’t act like I’m average.”

Faiyaz’s new album, Wasteland, features a track with Drake and collaborations with the likes of R&B and soul stars Raphael Saadiq and Alicia Keys. Although Faiyaz already has a dedicated fanbase, this assured, sensual and ambitious record looks likely to bring him to an ever-wider audience.

In certain corners of the internet there are running jokes about dating men who listen to Brent Faiyaz: if they like the Maryland singer-songwriter’s music, the memes go, odds are you’re getting your heart broken. And given his slinky, carnal brand of R&B, and deliciously toxic lyrics such as: “Darling, I don’t wish you well/ When you ain’t with me, I want you crying” and “It’s your fault for loving me/ You put your trust in me/ And I didn’t ask”, perhaps the jokes aren’t wrong.

Even if Faiyaz’s name isn’t yet a familiar one, odds are you’ve heard his smooth, unfaltering voice, his dreamy harmonies and smoky, pulsing production (and, yes, those lyrics). He initially emerged as the vocalist in the group Sonder; got a Grammy nomination for his feature on GoldLink’s 2016 track Crew; and last year made a mesmerising appearance on Tyler, the Creator’s Sweet/ I Thought You Wanted to Dance. Faiyaz’s own single Gravity – with Tyler returning the honours – went viral thanks to TikTok and the hook: “Don’t act like I’m average.”

Faiyaz’s new album, Wasteland, features a track with Drake and collaborations with the likes of R&B and soul stars Raphael Saadiq and Alicia Keys. Although Faiyaz already has a dedicated fanbase, this assured, sensual and ambitious record looks likely to bring him to an ever-wider audience.