After not dropping a full-length project for almost two years, Brent Faiyaz, the popular R&B artist, teases new music. I'm here to break everything down regarding his upcoming album and new singles. Faiyaz teased his new album, ICON, on July 3rd via his Instagram story, which was followed by the release of two new singles the next day.

At around midnight EST on July 4th, Brent Faiyaz released the official audio for two of his new singles, "peter pan." and "tony soprano." Twelve hours later, at around noon, he posted his official announcement on his social media. But what is "peter pan." and "tony soprano." about and what do we know about ICON?

tony soprano.

In the single, "tony soprano." Brent taps into his Larger Than Life side. His 2023 mixtape, and most recent full-length project, Larger Than Life, featured many of his most popular songs such as "Forever Yours," "Upset," and "Best Time." The entire mixtape featured background vocals harmonizing, chill instrumentals, and spoken word interludes and outros. These components are all seen in "tony soprano."

"Larger Than Life [Full Album Mix]" via Brent Faiyaz on YouTube"

At the beginning of the song, we are immediately introduced to the smooth instrumental and beat. Following the first verse and chorus, we hear a short interlude. Then, we hear the background harmonization throughout the second verse that comes after the interlude.

The song concludes with an outro. Aside from the technicalities, what is "tony soprano." really about?

The entire song is centered around his experience with wealth and women. The chorus features the line, "She seen too much to let it go." I interpreted this as Brent's love interests not being able to stop pursuing a relationship with, or simply attention from, him after becoming aware of the extent of his wealth and fame. This concept continues in the first verse in the line, "I'm not that funny / Go 'head and laugh for me / Know you want that bag from me." In these lyrics, Brent describes making a joke and the women around him being over eccentric in hopes of getting some of Brent's money, whether that's in the form of nice vacations, gifts, or PayPal transfers.

In the second verse, Brent focuses more on the wealth aspect of his fame. He sings, "[People] tryna talk 'bout 'Twin,' they ain't even make M's yet." This line means a lot of people try to feign closeness with him while not being anywhere near his level. "M's" are slang for millions, and "twin" is common slang that suggests a personal connection, so Brent is insinuating that the people trying to be close with him are looking for a fast pass to fame and haven't achieved his level of success.

Brent begins to talk about how he manages his wealth towards the end of the second verse. He sings, "Let's break it down (Go) / Throw it all around / I'm talkin' parametric, mm-hmm." These lines mean he is taking a calculated approach to how he distributes his money (whether that means how much of it he invests, spends, or saves). However, the next line suggests he might not be talking about such a traditional approach to money. He states, "That's how you finesse it," which could be an allusion to him doing illegal things with his income, hinted at by the earlier line, "Still ain't paid Uncle Sam yet," which means he is allegedly avoiding his taxes.

Whether it's money or women, his habits and problems stem from the fame he has gained. So, where does the name of the song fit in? Tony Soprano is a character from the show The Sopranos.

The show follows an Italian-American mob boss who lives in New Jersey. He struggles with his personal life, such as his family dynamics and mental health issues, all while running a crime syndicate. This symbolizes how Brent balances fame with his personal life in a parallel way to Tony Soprano. Brent wants luxury in his life that is achievable through fame, but he sacrifices genuine personal connections with both his friends and lovers. Below is a short clip that tells you a little more about Tony Soprano's character.

"James Gandolfini talks Tony Soprano's anger via 60 Minutes on YouTube"

The cover of the single (embedded below) depicts Brent Faiyaz on a private plane or jet. He is wearing an expensive-looking gold watch paired with equally impressive jewelry. The cover symbolizes the physical manifestation of his wealth, which is showcased to the public through his purchases. Since the song was centered around wealth and fame, it's a fitting cover that aligns with the song's message.

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peter pan.

"peter pan." follows a similar vibe. It continues the spoken-word sections with an intro and interlude. The background vocals compliment his voice perfectly.

I loved the harmonization on the word, "underwater" in the third verse. I think it definitely continues those Larger Than Life vibes.

This song has a different concept than "tony soprano." however. It talks more about his love and longing for his lover. The chorus includes the lines, "I wish I could be there / I would love you inside out." Brent is likely travelling a lot since he's a musician.

His music career, paired with managing his brand, ISO Supremacy (logo pictured below), leads to a busy life. As a result, Brent is separated from his lover, and he longs to be with her.

Image Credit: Brent Faiyaz from Wikimedia

Brent continues with themes of longing. He sings, "I'd go everywhere and look over you / Spend my night in the air to be close to you." Brent tries to explain the extent to which he is in love. He claims he would take a long flight just to see her. He even goes on to say, "I wish that I could breathe underwater / I'll swim through the deepest ocean to be where you are, babe." It is truly a beautiful lyric that showcases the depth of his affection.

The title "peter pan." comes from the childhood character who is eternally a kid. He goes on adventures in Neverland. Peter Pan is known for being able to fly.

Since Brent misses his lover so much that "[he] wish[es] that [he] could fly" to see her, the lyric goes beyond just a plane ride. Brent wants to be able to fly like Peter Pan so he can go to where she is.

The cover of the single (embedded below) depicts a few suitcases and bags. This could mean that Brent is packing to go see her. Or, as the intro of the song states, "[he] gotta fly to London tomorrow." The cover could mean he is travelling again, which means he can't see his lover or, inversely, going to visit her. Both "peter pan." and "tony soprano." describe how his fame gets in the way of his relationships.

ICON

Both "peter pan." and "tony soprano." have lyrics about fame and love. So, is ICON likely to follow the same themes? Most likely.

An icon is someone who is famous and respected. This album is probably going to talk about Brent's qualms with fame and his temptations. A lot of famous people talk about how their popularity prevents them from living a peaceful life. Paparazzi and cameras follow them wherever they go. But I think Brent is going to go beyond the physical representations of fame's drawbacks in the album by going into depth about how his relationships with friends, family, and lovers are all affected by his stardom.

On the caption of his post announcing the singles, Brent Faiyaz stated, "took some time away to collect my thoughts & perfect my craft. from this moment on, you are me and i am you." It seems that Brent spent the time since his last album release in 2023 learning more about music. It's looking like ICON is going to be a step-up from his past albums. But when is ICON releasing?

On his Instagram story on July 3rd, Brent posted an image of the album cover, captioned with "9.19.25." This means that ICON is dropping on September 19th of this year. It's still not clear if he is going to drop any more singles from ICON but you can stay updated by following his Spotify, YouTube, and Instagram pages. Stay tuned for ICON and enjoy the fresh Brent Faiyaz music!