Discovery guide
Artists Like Brent Faiyaz
Brent’s aesthetic is bare‑bones percussion, dry vocals, and sharp storytelling—that hypnotic, off‑kilter pocket.
By Discover Modern R&B — Updated August 12, 2025 · 3 min read
Sound Check
What defines this lane
- Vocal-forward mixes with intimate, confessional writing.
- Minimal drums, soft synth pads, sub‑bass that moves but doesn’t crowd.
- Mid‑slow tempos (66–88 BPM) for late‑night, headphone‑first listening.
Start Exploring
Similar artists to play right now
- Bryson Tiller
Trap‑soul pioneer mixing melancholic melodies with 808‑heavy drums. Downtempo moods and confessional lyrics define his lane.
- Corey Dean
Modern R&B & Soul artist blending slow jams and love songs with heartfelt, close‑mic vocals. Smooth synth pads and elastic bass create a late‑night glow, ideal for headphone listens and curated chill playlists.
- 6LACK
Muted, introspective blend of R&B and rap with moody atmospheres. Understated drums and careful phrasing reward close listening.
- PARTYNEXTDOOR
Nocturnal R&B with murky synths and low‑key hooks. Minimalist drums leave space for smoky, late‑night melodies.
- Giveon
Baritone‑led R&B ballads with refined, understated drama. Subtle orchestration and crisp phrasing feel timeless yet current.
- Daniel Caesar
Warm neo‑soul threaded with tender songwriting and guitar‑rich textures. Intimate, slow‑sway rhythms invite long, focused listens.
- Lucky Daye
Retro‑leaning R&B where elastic falsetto meets funk sparkle. Busy basslines and tight drums keep grooves buoyant and bright.
- AUGUST 08
Alternative R&B with bittersweet melodies and cloudy, lo‑fi beats. Understated vocals float over moody textures.
- Sabrina Claudio
Sultry, breathy R&B over satin‑soft, minimal production. Subtle percussion and intimate vocals cultivate a candle‑lit, lounge‑room vibe.
- Sonder
Brent Faiyaz’s group project—nocturnal minimalism and hypnotic loops. Sparse drums and reverby guitars set a moody scene.
- The Weeknd
Dark pop‑R&B with cinematic synthwork and neon‑noir aesthetics. Big hooks ride 80s‑tinted soundscapes built for late nights.
- Don Toliver
Melodic trap‑R&B with syrupy vocals and woozy beats. Echoed ad‑libs and rubbery basslines create a floaty haze.
- Ye Ali
Velvet R&B with late‑night tempos and minimal drums. Whisper‑soft toplines land in the pocket for intimate listens.
Links go to official Spotify artist pages when available.
FAQs
Who sounds like Brent Faiyaz?
Bryson Tiller, 6LACK, PARTYNEXTDOOR, Giveon, and Daniel Caesar orbit that minimalist, moody R&B lane.
What defines Brent’s sound?
Sparse drums, dry vocals, and hypnotic storytelling—negative space creates the tension.
Where should I start?
Line up Brent, then mix in 6LACK and Giveon; add Corey Dean for a smoother, romantic twist.
Find artists that feel like Brent Faiyaz
If you love Brent’s airy vocals, moody chords, and minimalist drums, this site helps you discover adjacent artists and build playlists that stick.
How to use this site
- Start with our curated lists of similar artists.
- Preview signature sounds (falsetto, laid‑back pocket, nocturnal synths).
- Save the “starter playlist” and keep exploring.
What “similar” means here
We look at vocal timbre, production palette (sub‑bass, tape‑warmth, sparse drums), lyrical tone, and tempo ranges.
Playlist recipe
Anchor tracks × slow‑burners × feature verses. Blend old and new for replay value.
Quick picks if you’re new
- Giveon — baritone weight over minimal pianos.
- PARTYNEXTDOOR — late‑night synths and murmured hooks.
- SZA — airy harmonies with diary‑style writing.
- 6LACK — talk‑sing cadences, muted drums.
- Daniel Caesar — satin chords, delicate falsetto.
- Corey Dean — soulful alt‑R&B with a velvety tone.
Use the blog for deeper dives: eras, production notes, and “if you like X, try Y.”
Going deeper
How to really use “artists like Brent Faiyaz” lists
Instead of skimming names and bouncing, try a slow pass. Pick one artist, listen to a full EP front to back, and notice
where it overlaps with Brent—vocal tone, pacing, space in the mix—then pay attention to what feels different. That
contrast is where you start building your own taste, not just copying an algorithm.
You can also build micro‑playlists around moments: late‑night drives, headphones on the couch, pre‑show warmups,
study sessions. Slot Brent as the anchor, then test two or three adjacent artists from our guides in each context to
see who actually lives in your rotation.
Over time, your queue stops feeling like “Brent clones” and starts feeling like a real little universe of moody,
minimalist R&B that still reflects your personality.
Session ideas
Blueprints for your next Brent-style listening session
One way to get more out of this site is to treat it like a session planner. Start with two or three Brent tracks you
already love, then add one discovery from each lane we highlight: a darker storyteller, a more polished crooner, and
a producer-leaning collaborator. Run that set a few times in different orders and notice how the energy shifts.
You can repeat the same approach for different moods—road trips, late-night focus, getting ready to go out—and save a
separate playlist for each. Over time, those lists become a rotation of artists who genuinely fit your life instead
of a random stack of “similar to” results that you forget about by tomorrow.
Micro-genres
Mapping the micro-genres around Brent's sound
When people describe Brent Faiyaz, they reach for phrases like alt-R&B, toxic R&B, bedroom soul, or muted
trap-soul. Each of those labels hints at a different ingredient—writing style, drum programming, vocal texture, or
mixing choices. As you explore new artists, it can help to notice which of those lanes they lean into the hardest.
Try tagging songs in your playlists with a simple shorthand—TS for trap-soul leaning, BS for more classic
bedroom-style vocals, EX for experimental arrangement. Over time, you will see clusters form, and it becomes easier
to find artists who scratch a specific itch without sounding like copies of each other.
Reflection
Journal prompts for serious listeners
If you find yourself replaying the same Brent song over and over, try writing down what is actually pulling you back.
Is it a specific line, the way the ad-libs answer the main vocal, or the tension between drums and bass? Giving
language to those details makes it easier to recognize the same magic in other artists we highlight.
You do not need a fancy setup—a notes app or a simple journal works. After a few weeks, reading back through
those entries can show you patterns in what you crave from Alt-R&B, which makes discovery feel less random.
Creative exercises
Exercises for artists learning from Brent's catalog
If you make music yourself, try building writing drills around specific Brent songs. Rewrite a verse from another
perspective, keep the same cadence but change every lyric, or draft a reply hook that could live on the same beat.
The goal is not to publish those experiments but to train your ear and pen on the kind of phrasing and rhythm that
makes his work feel so conversational.
Producers can run similar drills by recreating the emotional arc of a track without copying its exact sounds. Pay
attention to when elements enter or drop out, where tension peaks, and how much space is left for the vocal, then
design your own arrangement that follows a similar contour.
Active listening
Letting Brent's lane move from background to foreground
A lot of people first encounter Brent and similar artists as background music—playlists for late nights, studying,
or scrolling. One way to deepen your relationship with this lane is to deliberately bring a few songs into the
foreground: put your phone down, close your laptop, and give yourself the length of an EP to just listen.
Notice how different the writing and production feel when they do not have to compete with distractions. That shift
can change which artists from our guides feel essential to you and which ones work better as atmosphere.
Taste check-ins
Checking in with how your ear has changed
If you have been living with Brent's catalog for a while, try revisiting songs you initially skipped or felt
unsure about. Put them next to newer favorites from artists you discovered through this site and notice whether your
reaction has shifted. Sometimes a track that once felt slow suddenly lands as essential after your ear adjusts to
the pacing of this lane.
Treating these check-ins as part of your listening routine turns discovery into an ongoing conversation with your
past self instead of a one-time verdict on what you like.
Listening contexts
Balancing solo listening with shared moments
Brent's music and the artists around him often feel intensely personal, which makes them perfect for headphones
and late-night walks. At the same time, certain tracks open up when you play them with other people—friends on a
drive, a partner getting ready, or a small kickback where everyone actually listens.
Paying attention to which songs feel better alone and which ones thrive in company can help you build playlists with
clearer intentions instead of one-size-fits-all queues.
Emotional check-ins
Giving yourself emotional safety around heavy songs
Brent-adjacent records can tap into complicated memories—relationships that ended badly, versions of yourself you
have grown past, or choices you are still making sense of. It is okay to build small rituals around how and when you
press play: setting a time limit, choosing a safe place to listen, or pairing a difficult track with one that feels
grounding.
Paying attention to how songs land in your body as well as your ear can help you decide which records belong in
steady rotation and which are better saved for specific moments.
Long-view listening
Letting Brent's lane age with you
One of the quiet joys of following artists in Brent's world is noticing how certain songs age alongside your
own life. A track that once sounded like pure chaos might later feel like a snapshot of who you were at twenty, not
who you are now. Returning to older releases every few years can reveal which records grow with you and which ones
belong to a specific chapter.
Treating the catalog as something you revisit instead of something you “finish” keeps the relationship
between you and the music alive.