Following his critically-acclaimed album Fuck the World in 2020, Maryland-born R&B enigma Brent Faiyaz has become an instant cure for the culture.
Announcing his third full-length project with a gripping black-and-white teaser on June 13, Faiyaz has finally revealed the Wasteland he’s resided in these last few years — bringing along Drake, Tyler, The Creator, Joony, The Neptunes, Steve Lacy and more for the ride.
Leading in his long-awaited LP with the record’s fourth promotional cut — paying the “Price Of Fame” and leaving nothing unsaid about it — the return of R&B’s toxic king has been met with widespread praise. Visiting New York, Atlanta and a handful of other cities on a mini-press tour, fans flocked to catch a glimpse of the Wasteland crooner ahead of his album’s release on Friday (July 8).
“PRICE OF FAME” — which previously appeared on his hidden DropBox EP DO NOT LISTEN — is perhaps the most vulnerable cut on the record. The 6-minute long monster track features a slew of beat switch-ups as each part intertwines Brent’s irreplaceably sultry vocals with the track’s ceaselessly evolving production.
Midway through, the track comes to a jarring halt — switching the vibe up entirely with softly-strummed guitars and plucked strings that feel as if you’re caught in a heavenly limbo. “If you feel what I feel, you’ll know that I’m real,” he laments on “Price Of Fame,” crooning that “you don’t need someone to feel better than you’ve ever felt.” It’s a ghostly, luscious and overall meditative offering that sees Brent contemplate “selling his dreams.”
Oh, I ain’t sellin’ dreams to you, baby
That ain’t my style
I never said that I was the best in the world
But I’m the best for you, girl, just stay for a while
Brent Faiyaz — “Price Of Fame”
While Wasteland is the “masterpiece” Faiyaz set out to create in 2020, it’s been quite some time since Brent has gifted a full body of work to his fans. Despite not dropping a project in over two years, Faiyaz hasn’t missed a step since. Linking up with Tyler on “SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE” off his Grammy-winning album Call Me If You Get Lost, he also hopped on “lost souls” with Baby Keem and “Found” with rising African star Tems last year.
Tyler and Faiyaz’s experimental 2021 single “Gravity” with DJ Dahi appears on Wasteland, also adding his 2020 viral hit “Dead Man Walking” and “Wasting Time” with Drake.
Brent’s December 2021 single “MERCEDES” initially saw him in near final form — floating over its ethereal yet hard-hitting production with sultry sing-rapping defined by blurry nights and a woozy rendezvous. Speaking on the drop-top Mercedes his lover only wants him for, the Lost Kids mogul crafted an end of year banger that only heightened expectations for Wasteland. This track, however, has been left off his forthcoming album.
As Faiyaz’s newfound magnum opus settles in, Wasteland is a beacon of toxicity and vulnerability for the generational talent — admitting that the “Price Of Fame” is worth the brevity of his vices for better or worse.
Listen to ‘WASTELAND’ below!
