The Maryland-based singer-songwriter Brent Faiyaz is really making a name for himself in the industry. This really shows in his latest single “Wasting Time” featurig none other than Drake. This is their first collaboration.
Brent Faiyaz announced his 2021 album ‘Make It Out Alive’ in an interview with Vogue magazine. The first single released off the album was titled “Gravity” and featured Tyler, The Creator, marking their first collaboration together as well. The new album follows Brent’s 2020 EP ‘F*** The World.’
In “Wasting Time,” both Brent and Drake sing about their encounters with a female partner in their lives. Unironically, both do have a lot to say about women in their lives, both showing them love, and wasting time with them. They are down either way.
Listen to “Wasting Time” by Brent Faiyaz & Drake
“Wasting Time” Lyrics Meaning and Song Review
Verse 1/2
In the first and second verses of the song, Brent Faiyaz tells his girl/s that he the best intentions in mind for her. He knows that all the guys around her want to jump on her given the slightest chance. But he also knows that they will leave once the deed is done. Brent promises that he will be the one to stay. He can be the one she calls up and shares how her day went.
Pre-chorus/Chorus
Brent Faiyaz sees this girl just playing around with her guy friends. Brent is a bit meh about it becuase he knows she can do so much better, and with purpose. But he is willing to take what he gets. He sings if she is going to waster her time just fooling around, waste it with him.
However, Brent does not want to throw himself all over her and scare her away. He can see that she is a free spirit and doesn’t seem love the idea being locked down. So, he paces himself down.
Verse 3
Brent believes that this girl is just looking ways to mask her pain. He can see that when she closes her eyes and stares into the distance. Brent is absolutely smitten by this girl. He calls her ‘stainless’ and his lifew with her will be ‘painless,’ both emotionally and physically.
Verse 4
Drake enters the song.
Drake sings abotu different luxuries he can bathe her in; Ten Thousand luxury apartment suite, Mercedes-Benz G-Class jeep, a diamond necklace, or maybe even a Maybach luxury car.
New piece around my neck, it’s chest games
‘Cause shorty stay with calculatin’ moves, like Beth Harmon
Clever wordplay in these lyrics. A necklace with a pendant droops all the way down to the chest area. However, ‘chest game’ sounds like ‘chess game’, and chess is played with Chess pieces. Beth Harmon is a reference to the lead female protagonist of the 1983 novel ‘The Queen’s Gambit’ about a female chess prodigy coming up through the ranks in a time when the game was overrun with males. The novel was brought to life in a one-season Netflix series in 2020.
Drake also shouts out to the infamous “Purple Rain” track by Prince from 1984. He sings that he can be the prince from this song rather than a prince charming. While, “Purple Rain” by Prince isn’t the most colorful song, as it talks about the end of the world, it is a romantic song about spending every moment alive with your loved ones.
Your ex-roommate got a condo that’s downtown
But she got no furniture in the crib, I been there
Drake is savage and he does not hold back. He compares the life she can give her versus the life some other ordinary girl would have. He promised her a Ten Thousand luxury apartment suite to this girl and he knows that her ex-roommate just got a condo downtown. And she has no furniture there. It’s all looks. Drake knows this because he has visited her. For what reasons? We don’t know.
Drake knows the girl in this song hates the fact that Drake made/make visits to her ex-roommate. ‘Check’ is also an attacking/threatening move in Chess and ‘checkmate’ is the final move in Chess that defeats your opponent.
Drake also shouts out to one of his biggest influences in music, Aaliyah and her song “Back & Forth” from 1994.
In essence, Drake’s behaviour can be summarized as ‘wasting time’ with the girl in the song. Brent and Drake has opposing interests about a girl in this song.
What are your thoughts about this song and the collab? Let us know in the comments below. Check out the complete lyrics on Genius.
Banger🔥