Bilal's classical training at the Mannes Music Conservatory in New York was instrumental to his conversance with Jazz, voice, and big band arrangements. It has also been reported that he is capable of performing opera in seven languages and writes both music and lyrics.
In 1995, Bilal encountered Faulu Mtume, and his brother, Damu Mtume (sons to James Mtume and founders of Moyo Entertainment) at a barber's shop in Philadelphia. His plans to produce film scores was shelved after he handed the brothers a demo recording; they were so impressed that they successfully convinced him to record commercially.
Bilal has also frequently collaborated and performed with several neo-soul and alternative hip hop artists, including Common, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and The Roots. He also covered Radiohead's "High & Dry" for the 2006 Radiohead tribute, Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads. Bilal appears in Dave Chappelle's Block Party.
His sophomore full-length recording, Love for Sale is rumored to have been shelved after being leaked on the internet. Despite no official release as of yet, Love for Sale has become an underground classic.
In 2010, Bilal released his sophomore album, Airtight's Revenge, 9 years after his debut album. The album was well-received, critics praised his lyrical substance and experimental sound.
Bilal is set to release his 3rd album, A Love Surreal, on February 26, 2013. Bilal explains that the album has a warmer, more acoustic sound compared to his previous works. He released a mixtape leading up to the release in late 2012 called Retrospective of the Man Called Bilal. 6 days after the mixtape was released, he took the wraps off his first single for A Love Surreal, "Back To Love". A video was released the next month. So far, reviews for A Love Surreal are positive, praising Bilal's natural singing talent and lyrics.
Butterfly
Bilal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through muck and mire used to
We're all in pain
Made you strong, oh
Did you ever get tired to wait, yeah
In your shell anticipate
Old soul
Be born again
You were born to fly
When you're not so shy
When you're ready, you're ready, oh
Angels smile
Bloom to bloom
Re-creation
Through and through
A color blue
The morning dew
A summer kiss
Butterfly
The struggle makes you beautiful
The struggle makes you fly
Spread your wings and be new again
Butterfly
The struggle makes you beautiful
The struggle makes you fly
Spread your wings and renew again
In Bilal's song "Butterfly," the artist speaks to the listener about the struggles of life and how they can ultimately lead to growth, transformation, and beauty. The opening lines of the song ask the question, "How long do you crawl through the world?" The implication here is that life can be difficult and filled with challenges, and it can feel like we are constantly having to work just to stay afloat. The following lines, "We're all in pain, made you strong," suggest that even though struggles can be hard to endure, they can also help us build resilience and make us stronger as individuals.
As the song progresses, the listener is encouraged to embrace the struggle and to use it as an opportunity for growth and transformation. Lines like "Old soul, be born again" speak to the idea of reincarnation and suggest that we can shed our old selves and emerge anew. The chorus of the song emphasizes this idea of transformation, with the repeated phrase "butterfly, the struggle makes you beautiful, the struggle makes you fly." The butterfly is a powerful symbol of transformation, as it undergoes a radical metamorphosis from a caterpillar to a beautiful winged insect.
Throughout the song, Bilal uses vivid imagery to illustrate the process of transformation. Lines like "blooms to blooms, re-creation through and through" bring to mind the idea of flowers blooming, shedding their old petals, and emerging renewed. Similarly, "a color blue, the morning dew, a summer kiss" conjure up images of natural beauty and new beginnings.
Overall, "Butterfly" is a powerful and uplifting song that encourages listeners to embrace the struggles of life and use them as an opportunity for growth and transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
How long do you crawl through the world?
How much time are you spending struggling through life?
Through muck and mire used to
Through all kinds of hardship and difficulty that you've become accustomed to dealing with.
We're all in pain
We all experience some form of hurt or discomfort in our lives.
Made you strong, oh
Through overcoming pain and hardship, you've become stronger.
Did you ever get tired to wait, yeah
Have you ever grown weary of waiting for a positive change in your life?
In your shell anticipate
Despite your weariness, you wait with hope and expectation for a new beginning.
Old soul
You have wisdom and maturity beyond your years.
Be born again
Start anew with a fresh perspective and renewed optimism.
You were born to fly
You were meant to soar above your struggles and live a fulfilling life.
When you're not so shy
When you have the confidence to be yourself and take risks.
When you're ready, you're ready, oh
When you feel prepared and fully equipped to take on new challenges.
Angels smile
You have the support and encouragement of heavenly beings.
Bloom to bloom
You'll experience growth and progress from one stage of your life to the next.
Re-creation
You have the ability to reinvent yourself and create a new path in life.
Through and through
This transformation will impact every part of you.
A color blue
A sign of peace, calmness, and serenity that comes with a new beginning.
The morning dew
A symbol of freshness and newness that comes with the start of a new day.
A summer kiss
A moment of passion and excitement that comes with the start of a new adventure.
Butterfly
A metaphor for transformation and beauty that comes after a period of struggle.
The struggle makes you beautiful
The hardships you've faced have made you resilient and admirable.
The struggle makes you fly
Overcoming adversity will lead to personal growth and success.
Spread your wings and be new again
Embrace change and allow yourself to grow and transform.
Spread your wings and renew again
Take the initiative to start fresh and revitalize your life.
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BILAL OLIVER, ROBERT GLASPER, HZEKIAH DAVIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jwhitegirl
How long do you crawl through the world?
Through muck and mire used to
We're all in pain.
Made you strong, ohh
Did you ever get tired to wait, yeah
In your shell anticipate.
Ooold soul.
Be born again.
You were born to fly.
When you're not so shy.
When you're ready, you're ready, ohh
Angels smile
Bloom to bloom
Re-creation
Through and through
A colour blue
The morning dew
A summer kiss
Butterfly
The struggle makes you beautiful
The struggle makes you fly
Spread your wings and be new again.
Butterfly
The struggle makes you beautiful
The struggle makes you fly
Spread your wings and renew again.
@Occaneechi
Bilal is sooo underrated. Beautiful.
@momu2146
+Occaneechi Wah
goddam you're unfortunatly so right, I thought he was another dull raheem, and I'm just discovering an excellent album, at last, thank you god
@Falliblelife
Occaneechi Wah No truer words have been said. I have thought the same for years.
@Falliblelife
Occaneechi Wah I couldn't agree more. From his first album til now...grossly underrated.
@moniqueangevin2488
This made me cry for the ones who are mentally, psychologically, emotionally and spiritually struggling. For your loved ones who you worry about them feeling they've had enough. Hang on cause the best is yet to come. You are loved.
@morena1484
U hit the nail on the head. This is so uplifting!
@moniqueangevin2488
+Shannon Gardner I'm glad to get your feedback. I wish you love.
@Arizee08
Thank you 💯
@DarrielHarris
Monique Angevin has
@lilnarm_smoothblaze
That’s all this world will ever need and the rest will follow.