After three years of anticipation, Icon arrives as not just a release but as a statement. Brent Faiyaz uses this album to recreate himself as an artist, and reminds the world why he’s topped the charts so many times before. Icon is unique compared to Faiyaz’s other four albums, shocking fans as he emerges into a soft “lover-boy” R&B artist. This 12-track record is filled with themes of love and heartbreak, similar to what the singer usually writes about. However, this album delivers a different message from the artist’s usual toxic themes; the way he sings about love is much softer and lighter than his typical take on the feeling.
The album begins with an instrumental track titled “white noise.” This immediately opens the album differently than his usual fast beats and harsh, explicit lyrics. “white noise.” is carried by sounds of a melodic and calm orchestra. Just from hearing this first song, I immediately knew this album would transform Faiyaz’s discography and versatility, allowing him to transform into an artist day one fans wouldn’t expect he could become.
“wrong faces.” is very similar to the style of his last album, Larger Than Life. The beat feels as if it could fit into both this album and Larger Than Life. However, the lyrics are much different. Most fans coin Faiyaz as the “toxic male” archetype, even joking online that people who listen to the artist are “toxic” or “manipulative”. With this song being the first on the album with lyrics, it really sets the overall tone of the album, especially for fans who are lyrically focused. Faiyaz seems to be speaking to a lover, trying to express, “I’ll be the reason you’re not alone”. Previously, he has spoken to women through music, saying, “Don’t act like I’m your man, you just a fan, you don’t hold rank.” As you can see, there’s a clear change in mindset in his lyrical choices.
The album’s lead single, “have to.” has an entrancing beat and includes Faiyaz’s vocals edited to be higher and lower, mixed with his natural vocals. He makes music where he constantly alters his voice with different tools, and it always flows, and this song feels the same way. I’m always a fan of his creativity and how he speeds up and slows down his voice to alter his music and fit his style without just abusing autotune.
“butterflies.” is a track that allows Faiyaz’s voice to break through the beat, enhancing the power behind the message and behind his vocal ability. I think the usage of a slower, quieter beat allows the song to feel more powerful in a way. My only issue with this song is that the lyrics do get a little repetitive, but I still love the way it features themes of unrequited love and his ad-libs in his slowed voice. However, the outro is the best part of the song. It suddenly switches from the prominent vocals and slow beat to a faster pace and sped-up lyrics, complemented with more of the slowed ad-libs from the first half of the song. I love songs with beat switches, like “Nights” by Frank Ocean. It feels like the artist had two visions for the song and decided to just combine the two, showing true appreciation for music and the creative process behind it.
“other side.” is reminiscent of older R&B and other music types. The danceable track features both an inviting beat and strong vocals, specifically showcasing his incredible falsetto. The song’s sound seems to be inspired by 80s pop music but mixes in pop culture’s music style. I absolutely love this song and its catchiness; just listening to it reminds me of a summer day driving with the windows down. Again, I’m extremely impressed with Faiyaz’s ability to do a full 360 with his music and still execute it beautifully. This song is very different from some of his older music, including his works as Sonder (his “alter ego”), yet it’s still a style that he seems to have mastered.
The sixth track, “strangers.” is by far my favorite on the album. Although I love typical pop music, I’m a sucker for slow ballads or sad songs in general. Sometimes the best music makes you shed a tear. Personally, I think this song deserves so much more recognition and respect, since it’s one of the songs on the album that redefines Faiyaz’s career and overall style. While some of his older music was slower and sadder, similar to this piece, it didn’t convey the heartbreak that “strangers.” does. This song seems to be from the perspective of someone who lost the person they imagined the rest of their life with, and there’s a clear discernment of sadness from Faiyaz. In his older pieces, he may have lost someone, but either didn’t seem to care or had no idea of a future with them to begin with. One of my favorite parts about this song is that as it goes into the chorus, rather than speeding the beat up, the beat is consistently slow and melodic. This is different from the other tracks on the album, as Faiyaz uses the chorus to add some hyperness to the track. “strangers.” has been stuck in my head and is a constant in my playlists.
My second favorite song, “world is yours.”, is the seventh song on the album. It begins with Faiyaz’s solid falsetto and a techno-sounding beat, the drums slowly fading in about a minute into the song. The best part of the song is the progression of the beat, going from a techno piano sound and adding in the drums until they carry the background. After all the lyrics, there’s an incredible guitar solo section which I think adds to the overall musicality of the song and even the album as a whole.
The eighth track, “four seasons.”, has a beat reminiscent of WASTELAND’s (Faiyaz’s album from 2022) “PRICE OF FAME”. However, “four seasons.” is much slower and milder than the 2022 track. Along with the similarity in beats, the lyrics seem to revert to older works as well. Faiyaz has always been flashy with his lyrics, often seeming to flex how much money he spends compared to other men. In this song, he expresses the same sentiment, but this time comparing his own money to his partner’s. The lyrics say, “Cause you ain’t did what I did/ Bought you new whips, bought you watches.” However, even though these lyrics are familiar to fans, the overall vibe and feel of the song is still new. The song wraps up with his voice slowed, repeating the chorus, allowing more reminiscing for WASTELAND’s style while still including Icon’s sentimental message.
“pure fantasy.” also feels nostalgic and similar to some older R&B and pop music. Faiyaz layers his voice over many parts, which I think allows the listener to be surrounded by the music, hearing it on more than one level. I’m not a fan of his random break in the middle of the song, where he has some sort of small speech in between the singing. However, it doesn’t ruin the song entirely. Overall, this song feels like a late-night listen without the weight of the heavily emotional lyrics.
The original last track, “vanilla sky.” reminds me of a Faiyaz piece from 2020 titled “Clouded”. Yes, the two songs have a completely different sound, with “vanilla sky.” being much softer than “Clouded”; however, I think the messages in both songs are similar in a way. Both songs seem to address themes of true happiness, which almost makes you question what people see as happiness and success. In “Clouded”, Faiyaz talks about how people see him as lucky or are even jealous of him and that his life looks ideal, but in reality, he feels lonely and like “everything and nothing at the same time”. “vanilla sky.” addresses the listener more directly, asking them questions about what happiness is and its feeling. While Faiyaz mentions his own feelings in the song, asking if it’s a safe space for him to lead with honesty, it appears as if the song aims to help listeners establish their own perspective on happiness rather than society’s ideas. I think both songs display beautifully Faiyaz’s emotional connection to music and how he uses it as an outlet for his emotions in order to take off this mask of toughness, which he seems to wear. I love how in both songs he expresses his vulnerability, but in this track I think the message is more powerful. Considering the album’s stark differences from his other works, it’s like this track asks the industry and his fans for permission to release new music, which they aren’t used to, to get rid of the toxic character and make softer music.
Three days after Icon’s release, a deluxe version dropped with two new tracks: the complete record is now called Icon (Director’s Cut). On Jan. 15, 2026, Faiyaz was featured on “STAY HERE 4 LIFE” by American rapper A$AP Rocky. Faiyaz’s verses are heard at the beginning of the song, before they’re cut off by Rocky’s rapping. The first deluxe track on Icon (Director’s Cute) is titled “full moon. (fall in tokyo)” and it begins with Faiyaz’s section from Rocky’s track. I think the fact that he was able to expand on his seven-line feature and make a whole song out of it is truly genius. Faiyaz’s excerpt had already gained so much traction online, so it just made sense for him to make his own, solo version of the song. The song is definitely catchy, but I think it’s a little too repetitive. Despite its repetitive nature, Faiyaz’s vocals still did not disappoint.
“1 for you. (spring in new york)” is the second and final bonus track. I am obsessed with the beat and overall feel of this song, and with the sound of the snaps and the clean violins in the back that honestly carry the sound. I also love how the intensity of the beat changes throughout the song rather than staying the same all around. I think the vocals, lyrics, and beat all flow perfectly together and create a model of modern-day R&B.
Overall, I am head over heels for this album. I think Faiyaz’s ability to step out of his comfort zone and make choices completely different from what he normally produces is admirable and even shocking. This album, to me, proves that Faiyaz really is THE R&B artist of our generation. He paid homage to both older and newer music styles and tied it all in with themes of love and change. This album is powerful, and I can’t wait to see this new chapter of Faiyaz’s musical career.
