Brent Faiyaz Is Giving Us Butterflies with his Junior Album Icon

After a three-year-long hiatus, Brent Faiyaz timed his comeback well: the day before Valentine’s, the perfect occasion to drop an album that would have even Cupid swooning. Who would have thought that we would get ‘butterflies.’ or ‘other side.’ from the same man who sang ‘Rehab (Winter in Paris)’ back in 2021? Icon shines a different light on Faiyaz, who has long had a reputation as every toxic man’s favorite artist.

Icon was set to release in September 2025, but it was ultimately pushed back the night before and steered into a different direction, as per a video released on Brent Faiyaz’s Instagram. Different speculations as to why he did so have been circulating, such as avoiding any potential competition upon release, or just simply wanting to rework his artistry and put out something more personal. ‘have to.’ would thus be the lead single, accompanied by a video of Faiyaz recording music up in the sky. The song ultimately encapsulates the overarching theme of the album - feeling as though he’s “in a race with time to get where [he] belong[s],” which is next to his lover.  It’s a work of urgency, infatuation, and maybe even dripping with desperation. 

For the most part, the album has us light on our feet – nostalgic sounds of early RnB and funky beats paired with soulful lyrics (expected from a Raphael Saadiq production), even the rainy visuals of the ‘wrong faces.’ music video seems to bring back the “RnB artist singing in the rain” trope that was so popular in the 90s. For ‘butterflies.’, the title is very telling, capturing the universal yet distinctly special emotions of being in love, insisting that it’s more than just a crush and the anxiety of not knowing the other person’s emotions, wondering if such reciprocation is even fathomable. It reminds me of the Tagalog word “kilig,” which, at its most basic translation, resembles the fluttery feeling of having butterflies in one’s chest, but it goes beyond just that – an inexplicable, overwhelming feeling that eats at your insides. 

"I vowed to keep you warm
I held you in my arms
And I tried my best to be a man through it all
Even though it don't look like it's in the plan anymore
I won't explain a damn thing
Baby, you were supposed to change your last name"
—  strangers. 

Contrary to his past work, this album holds no features. The closest we come to one is the release of ‘full moon. (fall in tokyo)’ as a bonus track on the deluxe version, which was sampled on A$AP Rocky’s ‘STAY HERE 4 LIFE’. The song was unofficially released on social media this past August, but hit streaming platforms only with the release of the Director’s Cut version. On its own, ‘full moon. (fall in tokyo)’ plays as a devotional track, falling in line with songs like ‘world is yours.’ or ‘four seasons.’ that also centers on the conviction of “the one” and no other. Paired with Rocky’s own brand of yearning, the song takes on another life, one that depicts their respective relationships as an everlasting paradise.

Icon represents singularity, a tunnel-like vision of love that’s surprised long-time Faiyaz listeners. If his past self was all about chaos and wreckage, Icon is about wanting to stay and preservation. In this, we surely still find pieces of his ego and detachment that once crowned him as the patron saint of nonchalant heartbreaks. Yet, his bravado seems to have taken a back seat this time around, replaced by the desire to actually be seen wanting. He’s shifted from craving the thrill and messiness of the fall, and in this, we witness his most disarming move to date: letting himself bathe in his feelings and letting us watch.

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