Artists Like Brent Faiyaz

Underrated Alt‑R&B Gems You Probably Missed

A reader‑friendly deep dive to help you discover new favorites without getting lost in algorithm loops.

Why hidden cuts matter

Algorithms reward recency and momentum, not nuance. The result: many exquisite B‑sides never reach casual listeners. Curating by ear fixes that.

Pay attention to the pocket—the micro‑timing of kicks and snares. Alt‑R&B often leans behind the grid to feel unhurried.

Keep BPM ranges within a small window so transitions feel natural; use key‑compatible tracks when possible.

Where to dig

Look for EPs, SoundCloud loosies, and live session releases. Small labels and tour openers often hide the most interesting ideas.

Rotate old favorites back into the list every few weeks; familiarity boosts replay value and keeps the mix human.

Where to go next

Start your queue with one familiar anchor and two new names from this list. If a song grabs you, explore the entire EP—sequencing often tells the deeper story.

Share your finds with a friend who likes the same mood; two ears build better maps than one.

Editorial Team — Alt‑R&B discovery notes.

Published: • Updated:

Digging spots

Bandcamp Friday drops and private SoundCloud sets often hide B‑sides with gentler masters—perfect for late‑night listens.

Tiny Desk‑style sessions reveal phrasing and chord choices without production gloss; add at least one to each playlist.

Discovery tactics

Follow credits: when a mix hits you, click the engineer—engineers often carry a consistent sense of space across projects.

Search live session channels and tour openers; many future headliners test new ideas there first.

Deep listening notes

Focus on the space between hits—the late snare, the inhale before a line. Alt‑R&B feels intimate because producers leave room for micro‑details.

Solo the bass mentally on first listen. If the sub sits under 60Hz with gentle saturation, you’ll feel warmth without mud.

Starter playlist recipe

Open with a familiar anchor, drift into two slow‑burners, lift slightly with a feature verse, then end with an acoustic or live‑room cut.

Keep BPM within a ±8 window so transitions feel inevitable rather than forced.

If you like X, try Y

If you like falsetto‑led hooks with minimalist drums, try Daniel Caesar → UMI → Omar Apollo in that order.

If you prefer baritone leads and piano beds, try Giveon → Zach Zoya → Gallant’s lower register cuts.

Keys to the palette

Minor 7ths, suspended chords, and soft detune give that nocturnal glow. Layer a tape‑soft pad behind a dry lead vocal to preserve intimacy.

A brushed hat pattern or rim clicks can replace bright cymbals; you keep movement while avoiding top‑end glare.

Hunting for B‑sides

Look for deluxe editions, tour‑only drops, and compilation appearances—often the home of slower, more intimate mixes.

Signal you found a keeper

If a song grows on the second or third listen and still feels warm at lower volumes, add it near the front of your playlist.

Supporting underrated artists beyond streams

If a lesser‑known artist from this list really hits you, consider following them on socials, saving their releases in your library, or grabbing tickets when they play nearby. Those small actions can matter more to an emerging artist than a single playlist placement.

Sharing a favorite track with one or two friends who you know will get it goes further than blasting a link to people who treat it as background noise.

Checking back in on artists over time

The first project you hear from an underrated artist is rarely the whole story. Building a habit of checking back in when they release again—a year later, two years later—gives you a sense of their growth curve and whether they are settling into a lane that fits next to Brent for you.

Watching that evolution in real time can be one of the most rewarding parts of following a scene closely.

How small shows shape a scene

For many underrated artists, small venues and intimate shows are where the real community forms. Showing up to those rooms, buying a ticket, or grabbing merch at the table afterwards can have a bigger impact than any single stream.

Those nights also give you a different perspective on the music than headphones ever could—how the songs move a crowd, how the arrangements change live, and how artists carry themselves between tracks.

Finding local connections to underrated artists

Sometimes an artist who feels tiny on streaming is a pillar of a local scene. Searching for interviews, live sessions, or collaborations with hometown peers can reveal how they fit into a community, not just an algorithmic row.

Following those local threads can open up a whole new pocket of music that never shows up in national charts.

Listening for storytelling details in hidden gems

Underrated artists often take risks with narrative and structure that bigger acts might avoid. Paying attention to how they frame scenes, jump between timelines, or blur the line between boast and confession can reveal why a song sticks with you even if the production is minimal.

Those storytelling experiments are part of what keeps the wider Alt-R&B ecosystem vibrant, even when the numbers look small.

Giving underrated tracks the right context

A delicate, confessional song can feel underwhelming if you drop it into the middle of a loud party playlist. The same track might hit much harder at the end of a quiet, late-night sequence. When you share underrated gems from this list, think about where and when they are most likely to land.

Matching context to content is one of the simplest ways to help a song reach the people who will actually feel it.

Practicing patient listening with slow burners

Some underrated songs are slow burners that only reveal themselves after a few full plays. Instead of deciding in the first thirty seconds, commit to running a track a handful of times across different days and settings. Notice whether certain lines or textures start to stand out on repeat.

That patience can turn what first felt like “just okay” into a record you cannot imagine your rotation without.

Sharing etiquette for fragile favorites

When you finally find an underrated song that feels almost too personal to share, it can be tempting to keep it to yourself. There is nothing wrong with that instinct, but if you do decide to show someone, choose listeners who are likely to meet the track with care instead of using it as background noise.

Protecting the context around those fragile favorites can keep them feeling special even as your circle discovers them with you.

Supporting underrated artists beyond streams

Streams matter, but they are only one piece of the puzzle for smaller artists. Buying digital downloads, grabbing merch, tipping at shows, or even adding songs to carefully built playlists can all contribute to their momentum.

In a Brent-adjacent lane where intimacy and risk are the norm, that kind of support can be the difference between a one-off release and a sustainable career.