Brent Faiyaz, the genre-defying R&B artist from Columbia, Maryland, is gearing up for what looks like a major musical return. Known for his moody vocals, sharp storytelling, and independent hustle, Faiyaz recently wiped his entire social media presence — a move fans now recognize as the calm before the storm. On July 3, he dropped a cryptic Instagram Story teasing a new album titled Icon, with a release date locked in for September 19.
This marks Brent’s first official studio album since Wasteland in 2022, a critically acclaimed project that debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and solidified his place as one of R&B’s most introspective voices. The album even managed to land nine songs on the Hot 100, with “All Mine” breaking into the Top 50.
Brent Faiyaz followed Wasteland with 2023’s Larger Than Life mixtape, a star-studded offering featuring names like Missy Elliott, A$AP Rocky, Coco Jones, Babyface Ray, and Tommy Richman. Icon feels like the beginning of a new chapter. This upcoming project also follows Brent’s collaborative streak last year, where he teamed up with Wizkid for “Piece of My Heart” and jumped on Loe Shimmy’s “For Me – Remix.”
Fans won’t have to wait long for a taste of what’s coming. Just a day after teasing the album, Faiyaz announced two new tracks, “Tony Soprano” and “Peter Pan.” Both singles lean into his signature smooth, reflective sound. In one snippet, he sings over mellow production, “I wish that I could breathe underwater / I’ll swim to the deepest ocean to be where you are, babe.”
Beyond the music, Brent’s also been building something bigger. In 2023, he launched his own label and creative agency, ISO Supremacy, and signed a major distribution deal with UnitedMasters, all moves that signal he’s not just here to make hits, but to shape the future of music on his terms.
“I’ve realized how important it is to break the mold,” he told Billboard earlier this year. “So people can see what we’ve done and think, ‘Okay, that’s possible. I can do that too.’”
With Icon on the horizon and his creative vision clearer than ever, Brent Faiyaz is poised to make another lasting imprint, not just on R&B but on the culture at large.
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