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.
Something To Hold On To
Bilal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is there anything that I can do for you, darlin'
To get you next to me
There and nobody but you
There ain't nobody that does it for me
You're that one of a kind, baby
The whole thing's got me?
You make me feel stingy and whatnot
I only want you, cause you're all that I got
[Hook]
You give me something
Something to hold on to (x5)
At night when I close my eyes and think of you
Your face like fresh air in this clouded mind of things to do
And I wonder if you're feelin' the same way
I wonder if you're doin' the same thing
Or is it just me?
Cause I wanna be the one and only
And I know that shit sounds corny, but it's the way that I feel
I just wanna be with you (X2)
[Hook](X2)
The song "Something to Hold on To" by Bilal speaks about the profound desire to be with someone who makes life fulfilling. The first verse expresses a desire to be closer to the person being sung to, and a recognition that no one else can compare. Bilal talks about the person's uniqueness, and how they have captured his attention. He is so captivated by their beauty that he wants them to be his forever. He doesn't want anyone else in the picture, he only wants the one he loves.
The second verse delves deeper into the singer's feelings. He imagines the person he loves occupying his thoughts and wonders if they might be thinking about him too. He hopes that he is the only one for his love and wants to spend his life with them, no matter how corny it might sound. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "something to hold on to" emphasizing that the person being sung to is the one thing in the singer's life that's worth holding onto. In essence, the song is a beautiful love letter, expressing the depth of Bilal's feelings for the person he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Is there anything that I can do for you, darlin'
Bilal is asking his lover if there is anything he can do to be with them.
To get you next to me
Bilal wants his lover to be physically present with him.
There and nobody but you
Bilal only wants his lover, no one else.
There ain't nobody that does it for me
Bilal only finds pleasure and happiness when he is with his lover.
You're that one of a kind, baby
Bilal sees his lover as unique and special, unlike anyone else.
The whole thing's got me?
Bilal finds his feelings for his lover overwhelming and all-consuming.
Look so sweet, I got to make you all mine (x2)
Bilal thinks his lover is so desirable that he wants to make them his, and he feels this way twice as much.
You make me feel stingy and whatnot
Bilal only wants his lover to be with him and no one else because he is jealous.
I only want you, cause you're all that I got
Bilal values his lover so much that they are the only thing he wants, and he feels like they are all he has.
You give me something
Bilal's lover does something for him, makes him feel happy and fulfilled.
Something to hold on to (x5)
Bilal's lover provides him with something stable and positive that he can rely on and hold onto.
At night when I close my eyes and think of you
Bilal thinks of his lover often, especially at night when he can't see them in person.
Your face like fresh air in this clouded mind of things to do
Thinking of his lover gives Bilal clarity and fresh perspective in a busy mind.
And I wonder if you're feelin' the same way
Bilal questions whether his lover feels the same about him.
I wonder if you're doin' the same thing
Bilal wonders if his lover is also thinking about him.
Or is it just me?
Bilal considers the possibility that he may be the only one with these feelings.
Cause I wanna be the one and only
Bilal wants to be his lover's only love and priority.
And I know that shit sounds corny, but it's the way that I feel
Bilal acknowledges that his desire to be someone's one and only may sound cheesy or cliché, but it's genuinely how he feels.
I just wanna be with you (X2)
Bilal emphasizes that all he wants is to be with his lover, and repeats it for emphasis.
Hook (X2)
The chorus of the song repeats twice to emphasize the importance of his lover and the stability they bring to his life.
Writer(s): Domnick Lamb, Bilal Oliver
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@gospeljazzblack2012
my fav singer-songwriter. still and always.
@IAmJustR
This album was EVERYTHING and somehow, it has to be released someday.
@CAP416
I owe Bilal some money for the amount of times that I have listened to this
@sugafoot777
It's 2020 and this still hits my soul
@thefrowsy1
2021
@haydenthebrown
2023! I had this album on CDR back around 2006/7 and thought that Love for Sale was the best soul album that never got released. So grateful someone put it all together on YouTube.
@landingblind5185
@@haydenthebrownagreed...it still hurts me how it all happened. You know the story?
@haydenthebrown
@@landingblind5185 I heard about it at the time but the details are hazy now. His label shelved the project indefinitely right, due to it being leaked or something?
@natewilson5435
2024🔥🔥🔥
@justintime8922
Mind blowing one of the most underrated Artist out there .This song got so much soul it gives me chills.