The album was nominated for Best Urban Contemporary Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards, Lacy's first Grammy nomination as a solo artist.
Lacy started working on the album in 2017, recording in his younger sister's bedroom (which he named Paramore Palace) after she left for college, in between sessions he had with other artists, as well as touring with his band, The Internet. He also stated that he recorded much of the album using other methods than an iPod or iPhone. The song, "Like Me", was written and recorded in July 2017, after a period in which Lacy said he hadn't written any music because of the emotions and fears he had expressing his sexuality. The song features Daisy Hamel-Buffa who says they connected talking about their sexuality together in 2017 and Lacy came back later to ask that she sing on the track.
On April 8, 2019, Lacy released the lead single from "Apollo XXI", "N Side". The song was released after The Internet announced that two solo albums from unnamed band members had been completed. On May 16, he announced the title and revealed the cover art of the album. On May 21, he released the second single titled "Playground" and revealed the track list of the album. A final single, "Hate CD", was released hours before the album debuted.
Only If
Steve Lacy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
Would tell myself from the past, "You'll be fine"
But what you don't know is the fun part of fashion
And it's the place where I think all the fun begins
What you don't see is what you believe
But to be is the place where the angels dance
What you don't hear is the voice of fear
When you get passed, that is when your life appears
What you don't touch is what you won't clutch
But you'll latch on tight when the coast is clear
If I could travel through time, I think I
Would tell myself from the past, "You'll be fine"
The lyrics of Steve Lacy's song Only If are reflective and introspective in nature. The song seems to be a conversation with oneself, where the persona of the song finds comfort in the idea of being able to time-travel and offer reassurance to his past self. The first few lines of the song are indicative of self-doubt and anxiety - the persona wonders if he could go back in time and tell himself that everything will eventually turn out okay.
The lyrics go on to talk about the 'fun part of fashion'. This line may be interpreted to suggest that style and fashion play an integral role in the persona's life - it is possibly the key to his confidence and the way with which he finds his feet in the world. The next set of lyrics enable us to delve deeper into the persona's thought process. They seem to suggest that what we see is not always the truth, and what we hear may not be the voice of reason, sometimes it is the voice of fear. The lyrics further suggest that it's only when we get passed the illusions and delusions and immerse ourselves in the moment - we find the real essence of life.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could travel through time, I think I
If given the chance to go back in time, I believe I would
Would tell myself from the past, "You'll be fine"
I would want to assure my past self that everything will turn out well
But what you don't know is the fun part of fashion
The best aspects of fashion are those that are not yet known
And it's the place where I think all the fun begins
Fashion is the starting point for enjoyment in life
What you don't see is what you believe
Our beliefs are influenced by what we cannot see or fully understand
But to be is the place where the angels dance
True contentment and joy can be found in simply being in the present moment
What you don't hear is the voice of fear
Fear can be suppressed and ignored, but it still exists without our notice
When you get passed, that is when your life appears
Life truly begins once we overcome the obstacles that were holding us back
What you don't touch is what you won't clutch
If we do not experience something for ourselves, we cannot form a strong attachment to it
But you'll latch on tight when the coast is clear
Once we have a clear understanding of something, we hold onto it tightly
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
crea the chi boi
If I could travel through time, I think I
Would tell myself from the past, "You'll be fine"
But what you don't know is the fun part of passion
And its the place where I think all the fun begins
What you don't see is what you believe
But to be is the place where the angels dance
What you don't hear is the voice of fear
When you get passed that is when your life appears
What you don't touch is what you won't clutch
But you'll latch on tight when the coast is clear
If I could travel through time, I think I
Would tell myself from the past, "You'll be fine"
Tro 209
This song is honestly amazing and one of my favorite songs ever. The lyrics hit deep for me because there really was a time where I felt my life was a joke and had no meaning. I was depressed and honestly felt worthless. To think that Iβm the man who I am today and that Iβm actually happy now and always optimistic and positive is a complete mind blowing thing to me.
Truly.. if I could travel through time , I think I would tell myself from past βyouβll be fineβ
11
Yes ππ
xanparts
Beautiful.
bartdude82
Fucking yes! I feel this 100%.
Trey McNair
Tro 209 β¨β¨
Liliboom boom
That's amazing! I'm currently in the "what's the point of life" stage, but fighting hard to get to the other side. It's good to know that there really are brighter days and you've found yours! ππ½
Alexa
This and Igor are gonna be perfect for the summer
Jacob R.
Alexa Gonzalez look at Tylerβs story lol he mentioned this song
Leob
Hi alexa
Marco Franco
@Jacob R. I don't get it, where does T mentioned this song? :D