Brent Faiyaz - Fuck the World (EP Review)

R&B is not my favourite genre but due to hype on Twitter something told me to check out this Brent Faiyaz EP 'Fuck the World'. I recognized the name from that interlude on Juice WRLD's album 'Death Race For Love' and despite that interlude not doing much for me, I dived in head first anyway. Firstly, the production for the most part is heavenly sounding and very good. As you'll read later there are a few appearances where it's a bit bland but for the other occasions, while not much is happening it suits the vibe of the EP and doesn't distract us away from what he's doing. Usually the production has some kind of spirit when there's drums involved - not distorted trap 808's, but rather calm, relaxed drums. The lyrics are simple at times but always have emotion behind them keeping them implanted in your head. At other times the basic things he says hit a little harder because, well, it's what we all think at times and it's extremely relatable. These lyrics mainly speak on sex, drugs, money, love - and more importantly the struggles with each one, which is refreshing to hear as most songs nowadays glorify these things. Brent's voice is great, he hits every note he intends to and his soulful voice can drift you away while resonating with his emotions, however, there can be times where Brent's voice gets a bit tedious when placed over the beat.

Into the tracks, we begin with a track titled 'Skyline'. His vocals are on point, and it's a very simple concept of love makes the world go round and it really gets you thinking deep from an early point about what love means to you. This is one of the rare occasions where the beats a bit lifeless, but them "oooos" in the background are a nice touch. 'Clouded' is to me the only bad song on the EP. It's boring. The energy is too low, the beat is extremely dull and his vocals sound flat at some points in this song. Also his subject matter wasn't very gripping and it just kind of dragged on. We bounce back straight away with the very good 'Been Away'. The drums in the beat give it so much life (which was lacking up until this point). The lyrics are about working on yourself and wanting that special someone to wait for you while you do it (another relatable topic). The hook is very catchy and a great melody - the effect of them female vocals multilayered in there is also addicting. The verses move quickly and are nice on the ear - overall it's just a nice song. The title track 'Fuck the World (Summer in London)' is actually a low point of the EP. It's bland until the second hook kicks in where the drums liven it up. Not quite sure on the lyric "Wanna fuck the world I'm a walkin' erection", but despite that the hook is nice and relaxed. The second half of the song really saves it. 'Let Me Know' is a perfect examples of the drums being the best part of the production - they do a great job at building the instrumental up here to allow the light piano keys to enter effortlessly. It's main focus is on how society treats minorities (mainly black people), but the lyrics can be interpreted by anybody to apply to their own lives, "Who can I love when they tell me I can't love myself?". "Why do we hurt one another? Fight our brother, kill, and rape?" is a specifically hard hitting line that can be felt by anyone.

We have a nice break with the interlude 'Soon Az I Get Home (Interlude)' and then get into 'Rehab (Winter In Paris)'. The beat actually sounds like you're getting an animation of riding your horse on Red Dead Redemption 2 - but I really like that the strings sound how they do and the claps in the beat are nice. The hook is a beautiful example of soul while the lyrics focus on a girl who's hooked on drugs (hence the title, 'Rehab') and only Brent knows this side of her. He regularly has sex with this girl who he admits to loving. It's definitely a highlight on the EP. As we approach the end of the EP spanning just over 25 minutes, we get yet another highlight in 'Bluffin'. The baseline is very good on this track as are the drums once again. It focuses on another relatable topic, wondering whether a girl is acting up for attention or she just doesn't care for him anymore, and the way it's put onto paper comes across really genuine and heartfelt. The final proper track on the album is 'Lost Kids Get Money'. It's good again, with the speed of the verses and hook sounding great over this loud, soulful beat - that's potentially overproduced by the time we reach the chorus. I'll let that slide though just to how good the verses sound. It's a pretty simple message - you won't make money if you don't make the effort to go out and get it. This then slides into the calm thirty second 'Make It Out (Outro)'.

Overall, Brent's third EP is a relatable, short project with chilled vibes allowing you to get lost in the music. It has a few great tracks, many good tracks and only a handful of low points - and has made quite the impression on me. Just wish it was more compelling at times.

FAVOURITE TRACKS: Skyline, Clouded, Been Away, Fuck The World (Summer In London), Rehab (Winter In Paris)

LEAST FAVOURITE TRACK: Soon Az I Get Home (Interlude)

OVERALL RATING: Solid 6.5/10

*REVISED SCORE: Review may not match favourite tracks and overall rating because I've since re-listened and changed my score.*