Dead Man Walking (Brent Faiyaz song)

In 2020, Faiyaz released his fourth extended play (EP) Fuck The World, and started working on material for a new album. "Dead Man Walking" would release through Lost Kids, Venice Music, and Stem Disintermedia as the lead single from his sophomore studio album Wasteland (2022). It would later gain virality on the social media platform TikTok. == Composition ==

"Dead Man Walking" is an R&B and soul song with a duration of about 4 minutes and 8 seconds. The song was written by Faiyaz alongside its record producers Lil Rece, Dpat, and Jordan Ware. Pitchfork's Dani Blud wrote "the hazy thrill" of the song "shoves the listener back into the overwrought narrative before any of the hits can metabolize and "seemed to offer a more elegant, elevated posture for the guy who branded himself a “walking erection”. The song's lyrics center around living life carefree, while also providing a philosophy of Faiyaz's life. == Commercial performance ==

"Dead Man Walking" entered at number 6 on the US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 for a week, while it peaked at 43 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. In Europe, it peaked at number 8 on the Irish Singles chart, and number 85 in the UK Singles chart. It had also spent one week in the top 20 of the UK Indie chart. ==Critical reception==

Clash's Robin Murray wrote that the song "find[s] Brent daring to pull down the curtain of hype that surrounds him, and let fans see a little extra from his world". Writing for Pitchfork, Dani Blud described it as a track which "distilled a fledgling philosophy for the next quarter of his life". Andy Kellman of AllMusic felt the song "uncoils as a stamping, swirling reflection on submitting to temptation." While Kalen Murphy writing for Earmilk wrote "The high-end production paired with Faiyaz's euphoric voice gives the track the same effortless swagger he delivers his verses with." == Live performances ==

Faiyaz performed "Dead Man Walking" at his Eventim Apollo concert in London. Which would later be streamed as an hour long Apple Music exclusive on November 29, 2023. In January 2024, he would also perform the song at the a concert held at the New Frontier Theater in Manila, Philippines. == Credits and personnel ==

Credits adapted from Tidal. • Brent Faiyaz vocals, songwriting, production • David Patino production • Lil Rece production • Jordan Ware production ==Charts==

Weekly charts ==Certifications and sales==