In 200 Words: Icon – Brent Faiyaz

About halfway through Icon you might find yourself asking, is Brent Faiyaz finally in love for real? He almost sounds disarmed.

On butterflies he leans into the rush of falling for someone, letting down his guard, followed immediately by the other side, where he delivers what might be the closest thing we’ve ever heard to Brent being a simp. “I move and breathe to make sure you feel special being mine.” This feels like the song destined to go big on TikTok.

But the illusion never lasts long, with an immediate switch-up on strangers.

Soon enough, he circles back to familiar territory on four seasons: admitting to lying, hurting her and still expecting devotion in return. The self-awareness is there, but so is the ego. The album is classic Brent, layered over moody  production that feels built for velvet recliners, dim lighting and a glass of wine in hand.

As a whole, Icon is concise and easy to replay, but rarely surprising. It feels less like an evolution in Brent’s artistry and more like a seasonal drop timed for Valentine’s Day. Brent may flirt with vulnerability, but he never fully abandons the persona. A reminder to never look for anything inspiring from him.