Powfu himself may not be an American, but his music is still a staple of American pop. Ever since his hit single “Death Bed (Coffee For Your Head” with Beabadoobee reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 list), Powfu has continued to successfully integrate lo-fi with mainstream pop. 

One could say as the son of David Faber (member of the band Faber Drive), Powfu a.k.a. Isaiah Faber was destined to end up in the music industry… and that’s exactly what happened. Being exposed to music at a young age allowed Isaiah to develop his own genre of music by mixing lo-fi or chill instrumental beats typically used for studying with the peppy feel of generic pop. Releasing his first single in February 2020, Powfu’s calm and catchy music was perfectly suited to the reassuring vibes needed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

His subtlety catchy songs exploded on TikTok, resulting in Powfu being signed onto Columbia Records shortly after. Since then he has released 5 albums, all of which feature multiple collabs from tons of smaller lo-fi and rap artists including Ouse, Jomie, Rxseboy, and Skinny Atlas.

Powfu’s first album, some boring love songs pt 5, is heavily lo-fi focused and features really chill, melancholy songs with muffled audio and pretty simple instrumentation of acoustic guitar and piano to match the vibe. His second album, surrounded by hounds and serpents, continues the sadder vibe but does so through a more rap/rock centered style. Obviously these styles are still very toned down in order to blend well with Powfu’s signature lo-fi backtracks, but they are also a different statement from his first album. surrounded by hounds and serpents also includes a punk rock version of Taylor Swift’s song “Mine”, which showed off some of his skills in other genres as well.

His latest three albums, Gathered By The Lantern (2023), the fleeting life of a fool (2024), and Mafia & Mugs Rootbeer (2024) all feature relatively the same style of music; reflecting Powfu’s growth and confidence in his style as an artist. Combining the prominent lo-fi beats of some boring love songs pt 5 and the electric guitar of surrounded by hounds and serpents, he creates songs that are both perfect for car karaoke and studying for an exam. These albums also incorporated some Christian songs, developing Powfu’s spot as a worship artist. The TikTok presence of his music hasn’t dwindled; Isaiah often will upload videos of his music-making process onto the video sharing platform, giving his listeners an opportunity to feel more connected to his songs.

My Top Ten:

1. “shade of blue” feat. Rxseboy, Tia Tia, & Shalfi (surrounded by hounds and serpents)
2. “cinnamon hearts” feat. Ouse (Mafia & Mugs Rootbeer)
3. “milk in the morning” feat. Jomie, Zaini, & Skinny Atlas (the fleeting life of a fool)
4. “Mine” (surrounded by hounds and serpents)
5. “digital crush” feat. Ouse & Ryan Librada (the fleeting life of a fool)
6. “death bed (coffee for your head)” feat. Beabadoobee
7. “silver linings” (some boring love stories pt 5)
8. “Eyes Blue Like The Atlantic, Pt. 2” feat. Alec Benjamin, Rxseboy, & Sarcastic Sounds
9. “clash of the titans” (some boring love songs pt 5)
10. “watch me miss” feat. Jomie (surrounded by hounds and serpents)

For fans of Alec Benjamin, blackbear, and Sarcastic Sounds.