Brent Faiyaz is back with a vengeance, our toxic king has returned. He gives the gift of narcissism wrapped in vulnerability and luxurious vocal stylings. The skits scattered throughout the album give it a movie-like quality, an insight to Brent's toxic introspections. He's mastered the art of making unhealthy relationships look glamorous and sound desirable. The production sounds cohesive for the most part, the collaborative singles with Drake & The Neptunes (WASTING TIME) and Tyler, the Creator & DJ Dahi (GRAVITY) being the exception, but while different to the rest of the album they don't sound entirely out of place. Speaking of collaborations, GHETTO GATSBY featuring Alicia Keys is the right balance of cockiness and sensuality which is elevated by Alicia's bouncy yet seductive rap. FYTB featuring Joony sees Joony riding the subtle beat switch effortlessly whereas on ADDICTIONS featuring Tre' Amani, Tre' has given us Brent level complacence and clever wordplay. The production encompasses stuttering strings and distortion, the latter Brent is no stranger to, which ultimately gives it a slightly haunting texture yet Brent's satiny vocals balance it out. The end result is a body of work full of danger and infatuation.
Written by Kat Friar