Recorded during the pandemic, Brent Faiyaz’s 19-track sophomore album WASTELAND unfolds like a Shakespearean R&B tragedy exploring themes of relationships—falling in love, infidelity and betrayal, all while the protagonist struggles with his new-found fame and looming fatherhood. Toxic relationships aside, WASTELAND has many meanings for Faiyaz, which is heard throughout the album. “I remember being in Atlanta protesting and getting tear-gassed during the day and then going to the strip club that night,” he tells Apple Music. “Then going to the studio the next day and talking about what the fuck just happened. That’s where a lot of WASTELAND came from: just my perspective or how I viewed the world we was living in at that time.” The album’s standout track “ALL MINE” is spotlighted on this playlist as one of the R&B tracks that defined 2022. Add it to your library and stay up to date on the latest and greatest of the genre.