Brent Faiyaz has never been interested in fitting into the box that R&B tries to build around him. Instead, he’s spent his career setting fire to it, crafting a sound that thrives as experimental yet timeless. Since first catching the world’s ear with his captivating voice and storytelling, the Grammy-nominated artist has become one of the genre’s most elusive architects.

Whether crooning about love or his own ascension, Faiyaz continues pushing the boundaries of soul and sound with every release. The alternative R&B star has always been a master of setting different moods. His music lives in the gray areas, showing a bit of the tension between intimacy and isolation, ambition and restraint, ego and empathy.

Over the years, he’s evolved from a promising newcomer with Sonder Son into a fully realized storyteller whose universe expands with every project. His work isn’t confined to playlists or trends; instead, it mirrors an artist in constant conversation with himself, dissecting fame, desire, and self-awareness in real time. The Maryland-bred singer, producer, and creative visionary entered a different era with “have to.”

The drop signaled a maturation both musically and emotionally. The record felt a smooth transition from rising star to a mature, grown and sexier singer who is even more confident in his delivery. The modern R&B has experimental elements throughout the production from vocals to the instrumental, offering listeners a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a creative who’s built a career exploring different boxes, but never being placed in them.

Released on Oct. 31, 2025, the immersive record finds him stripping things down to their rawest form, pairing moody basslines, layered harmonies, and vibrant textures with his trademark confessional lyricism. Reuniting with longtime collaborators Jonah Roy and NDK, he built a world that feels both intimate and elevated, like a midnight conversation that lingers long after it ends.

“This next chapter is about elevation — sonically, visually, and personally,” he shared. “With ‘have to.,’ I wanted to strip things down and get honest, to create a space where vulnerability meets confidence.” It’s not just a return — it’s a revelation. The sound of an artist who knows exactly who he is and isn’t afraid to bare it all.

He’s approaching artistry not as reinvention, but as refinement meant to cut away the noise to reveal something more intentional. It feels less like a rebrand and more like a reckoning, proof that longevity doesn’t require constant evolution, only honesty.

In an exclusive interview with REVOLT, Faiyaz opened up about the single, the last time something that was non-musical influenced him, and why being “timeless” is ego-driven.

Your music often feels like an experience rather than just a listen. When you’re creating, what do you hope people feel when they step into your world?

I don’t really think about how it will be received while I’m making it. I just keep the music true to myself and my journey and allow the world to build itself. Music is how I navigate my thoughts and ideas about life and love and whatever else. Its expression — nothing more, nothing less.

“Have to.” feels cinematic and intentional. What were you trying to capture or communicate through that record?

“Have to.” is about longing. I’m constantly traveling, constantly on the move. At this point, I spend more time on airplanes than I do on land. I love it. However, missing someone is a familiar feeling. So, I just wrote about how it feels to come home, or at least, somewhere that feels like home.

You’ve been praised for your ability to build mood and atmosphere. Do you see your music as storytelling, or more like a feeling you let unfold?

Both. It’s like the chicken against the egg. That story can be a lived experience that creates a feeling and ultimately creates a song. There could also be a feeling that creates a story that creates a song that ultimately becomes a lived experience.

When was the last time something completely non-musical shifted how you see your art?

Life does that all the time. Traveling, conversations, books, cinema, relationships — whatever it is — it all feeds back into the music. That’s art to me, being open to let life’s experiences shift your perspective.

Your songs often explore connection and emotion in different ways. What does love or human connection look like to you?

At this stage in my life, it's all about grace, reciprocity, and patience. I used to chase perfection, but that’s a scam. While boundaries and standards are important, you’ll set yourself up for eternal disappointment expecting for people to walk into your life and be exactly who you want them to be. To truly be understood, you have to learn to understand others.

You’ve talked before about wanting your music to last. What makes a song timeless to you?

I used to want these things, but it’s truly out of my control. If it lasts, it lasts. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. That “I'ma be timeless” s**t is all ego. Just make the art true. Timeless music, to me, is music from the heart. The style may change, and the beats and lingo may switch up a bit, but humans are humans. Thirty years from now, someone might discover their favorite song and feel the exact same emotions I felt when I wrote it yesterday. Or they may not listen to it at all. By then, I’m gonna be hanging out with my grandkids or something. So why would I care?

If you had to choose, which one of your own records feels timeless to you? One that will always represent who you are as an artist?

Only time will tell.