Artists Like Brent Faiyaz

Discovering Producers in the Brent‑Adjacent Universe

Once you start paying attention to credits, you realize many of your favorite songs are connected by a small group of producers quietly shaping the sound behind the scenes.

Following one name across different artists

Pick a producer from the credits of a Brent‑style track you love and search their name directly. Queue a few songs they've worked on for other artists. Listen for the fingerprints: the way drums are spaced out, how the chords resolve, how much silence is left between phrases. You'll start to recognize their touch even when the main voice changes.

Noticing who handles the “quiet parts” of a record

In a lot of these songs, the most interesting work happens between obvious moments—the pause before a hook, the space after a blunt line, the way a bridge sneaks in a new melody. Producers decide how long those moments last and how they feel. Paying attention to those choices helps you understand why certain tracks feel replayable even when they're structurally simple.

Using producer credits as a filter on new drops

On weeks with a heavy release schedule, scrolling through new projects can feel overwhelming. Checking the producer credits first gives you a way to decide where to focus. If you recognize names you already trust, you can start there, knowing there's a good chance the sound will land for you.

Letting appreciation turn into support

When you talk about songs online or offline, experiment with mentioning the people behind the boards in the same breath as the main artist. It can be as simple as, “this producer has been quietly running this whole sound for years.” That shift in spotlight doesn't cost you anything, but it contributes to a culture where back‑end work gets more recognition.

Drawing inspiration if you make music yourself

If you sing, write, or produce, paying attention to who built the records you love gives you a more concrete starting point for your own experiments. Instead of trying to copy a finished track, you can focus on specific decisions—how drums are layered, how vocals are stacked, how reverb is used—and translate those ideas into your own lane.

Keeping your Alt‑R&B playlist fresh without starting over

A simple maintenance routine can keep your favorite playlist feeling alive. Once a month, move a few songs you are skipping into a “bench” playlist, then add two or three new discoveries from recent releases or deeper cuts by artists already on the list. This preserves the mood while making room for growth.

Over time, that rotation becomes a snapshot of where your taste is right now rather than a static time capsule from the week you first built it.

Sharing your favorite finds with intention

When you send songs from your Alt-R&B playlist to friends, think about who will actually appreciate them. A single track sent to someone who already loves Brent-style writing might spark a full conversation, while blasting a link into a group chat can lead to the song getting skipped and forgotten.

Treating recommendations like personal invitations keeps the music feeling special instead of disposable.

Balancing deep cuts with familiar anchors

A strong Alt-R&B playlist usually balances comfort and surprise. One practical pattern is to alternate between songs you know will land with any crowd and riskier deep cuts from newer artists or lesser-known projects. That way, even skeptical listeners have familiar anchors while you quietly widen the range of what fits the mood.

Over time, some of those once-risky picks become new staples, and your sense of what counts as “safe” slowly expands.

Using personal metrics instead of skips alone

Skips are one signal, but they do not tell the whole story. You might skip a favorite track simply because you are not in the mood. A more helpful metric is noticing which songs you actively seek out later, which ones you quote in conversation, or which ones you catch yourself humming in the middle of the day.

Paying attention to those quieter reactions can guide which songs deserve permanent spots in your Alt-R&B playlist.

Building seasonal rotations instead of one master list

Rather than forcing every mood into a single master playlist, consider building smaller seasonal rotations—winter introspection, spring reset, summer nights, fall reflection. Many Brent-adjacent tracks shine differently depending on the weather, the light, and what is happening in your life at the time.

Rotating which list you lean on throughout the year keeps familiar songs feeling fresh and gives newer discoveries space to breathe.

Using tempo shifts to shape the night

The way tempo rises and falls across a playlist can quietly direct how a night feels. Stringing together too many slow, brooding cuts can flatten the mood, while sudden jumps into faster tracks can feel jarring. Experiment with gentle ramps—two or three mid-tempo songs after a run of slower records—to see how your guests respond.

Over time, you will develop an instinct for when to ease into energy and when to let a long, unbroken stretch of slow Brent-adjacent songs hold the room.

Marking personal moments with specific songs

Many people remember exactly where they were the first time a Brent song really hit them. You can lean into that tendency by intentionally pairing big life moments—moves, milestones, endings—with specific tracks from your Alt-R&B playlist. Over time, the list becomes less of a generic mix and more of a map of your own story.

When you go back to curate, pay attention to which songs still carry that weight and which no longer feel tied to anything meaningful.

Crafting intros and outros with intention

The first and last songs in a playlist carry extra weight. Opening with something too gentle can cause people to tune out before the mood is set, while ending on a chaotic cut can blur the feeling you were trying to leave them with. Experiment with different intro and outro pairs, then ask friends which combinations make them want to run the playlist back.

Over time, you will build a small rotation of openers and closers that anchor whatever Alt-R&B story you are telling that day.

Maintaining your playlist without over-editing

It can be tempting to tweak your Alt-R&B playlist every time you hear a new song, but constant rearranging can keep it from developing a stable identity. Scheduling occasional maintenance sessions—say, once a month—gives you space to sit with songs long enough to know whether they truly belong.

During those passes, look for tracks you always skip, songs that still thrill you, and spots where the energy dips without a purpose.