Since his breakout moment with the silky hook on “Crew”—with D.C. rappers GoldLink and Shy Glizzy, this infamous R&B artist from Maryland—Brent Faiyaz, has dropped yet another hit album loved by millions. He released Larger Than Life last Friday, October 27, 2023. After this drop, fans on TikTok and other social media platforms shared their feedback—discussing how he continues to wow them and “do it again” with his unique music take on R&B Soul.
This 14 track album is filled with throwback vibes similar to that of 90s/early 2000s R&B. The album starts off with a beat similar to that from TLC’s hit—No Scrubs—in his opening song “Tim’s Intro,” really setting the tone for the rest of the tracks and what mood he is aiming to convey to his audience. Other fan favorites include “Moment of Your Life”, “Wy@”, “Forever Yours”, “Upset” and “Last One Left”. Not only does Brent truly showcase his singing ability and style, but he features many R&B favorites—including Missy Elliot, Coco Jones, and well-known rapper—A$AP Rocky.
Yet, there has been some constructive criticism, as well. Some say that this album does not compare to the cohesiveness of his most popular album—WASTELAND, and that they feel that Faiyaz didn’t use his full potential to make this album his best one yet, out of all of his 4 released albums so far. But, I personally think that this album shows us the more artistic side of Brent to convey that “villain” feel that he is aiming for. He is obviously exploring new styles and ways to display his artistic skills in songwriting and speak-singing, so of course—this album will feel different in comparison to his others, but I genuinely feel that different (in this case) is good because it would be boring to always hear the same material from him, over and over again. Overall, other than the few critics, this album is a perfect fit for those who love modern R&B Soul. I recommend streaming this on any music platform, today. Enjoy!
