North Texas Daily

UNT’s University Program Council (UPC) hosted a concert with Brent Faiyaz on Thursday at the Emerald Ballroom in the Union. The student-ran council put a poll out last semester for students to vote for which artist they would like to see next, and Faiyaz emerged the winner.

The number of students in line early on Thursday showed that UNT students were very eager to watch the performance. The line stretched outside of the Union and people arrived more than two hours before the doors opened in order to get the best view possible. His performance was mainly focused on songs from his most recent EP, but Faiyaz made sure to save some oldies for his fans that have been following him for a while.

Released on Feb. 7, 2020, Faiyaz’s third EP, “F*** the World,” defines his relationship with love, commitment, hardships and money. Many people know him best from his musical group Sonder, formed with record producers Dpat and Atu. He also gained popularity from his commonly known feature in the song “Crew” with rappers GoldLink and Shy Glizzy, which was Grammy nominated and RIAA Certified Platinum in 2018.

Faiyaz is originally from Columbia, Maryland, where he started his music career uploading to SoundCloud. He later moved to North Carolina, acquired a manager and then moved to Los Angeles to further his career.

What makes Faiyaz stand out is his originality and his views on love and life, which are represented in his music. He brings something new to the game while still calling on those old R&B sounds. His live band consisted of a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer. They made the stage their own and reinforced all the emotions Faiyaz was evoking to his audience. They were all in tune with each other and knew exactly when to take the spotlight or shine it on Faiyaz.

Fans of Faiyaz are drawn to his originality. Yashua Morrison, a media arts major, said Brent has his own vibe and different sound. Information technology freshman Jill Hopkins agreed.

“Brent Faiyaz doesn’t sound like anyone else because of his unique beats and lyrics,” Hopkins said.

Fashion merchandising junior Isiah Hatch said he has been a fan since “Crew” was released in 2016.

“I’m looking forward to hearing Skyline,” Hatch said of the songs he was most excited for before the show began.

Others were looking forward to hearing “Rehab (Winter in Paris)” and “Poison.”

The crowd was filled with different people who had been listening to Faiyaz for a long time, so the excitement levels were high.  People were dancing and singing along, while also recording videos to watch again later. He was very interactive with his audience and had everyone engaged and interested. He possesses an innate ability to connect emotionally with his audience and his honesty and experiences are shown through his lyrics. He is an artist that can relate to people through life’s struggles and isn’t shying away from talking about the hard stuff.

UPC managed to put on a great concert, and Faiyaz and his band did not let the crowd down. Faiyaz’s dedication to his craft was shown through his advanced lyricism, his perfectly picked band and the energy only he can bring. There was a massive turnout for his concert and the audience thoroughly enjoyed his performance and the event overall.

Featured Image: Brent Faiyaz performs for UNT students at the University Union on Feb. 27, 2020. Image by Samantha Tellez