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.
You Are Version )
Bilal Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The shade of ebony
In the silence of my dreams
You kept me company
On this secluded island
Our bodies seem to melt
Intoxicating, overwhelming Intensity
You're the one my hearts been waiting for
No less than everything and nothing more
Until the end of time I feel a dawn?
You baby you are all, you are all.
I sketch you to observe you, a smeared reality
Now you're draped in chocolate, tasty opportunity, to place you, take time to
Rest you on some mantel piece, ignite you, take time to, and everything in between
[Chorus:]
To me you read as clearly
It's like poetry-you've got me
With sexy smile, sexy frown, those frowns
(those frowns...do what you do)
The lyrics to Bilal's song "You Are (Version 2)" are intimate and sensual, describing the singer's experience of falling in love on a "secluded island" with someone who is described using luscious, dark imagery. The first lines describe this lover as wearing "satin/The shade of ebony," which creates a sensuous visual image that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer then talks about how this person "kept [him] company" in the silence of his dreams, which further emphasizes the intimacy and connection that he feels with them.
Throughout the song, the imagery used to describe this person is both sensual and artistic. The singer talks about sketching them to "observe [them]," and describes them as "drape[d] in chocolate, tasty opportunity." These descriptions create a rich and complex image of the object of the singer's affection, emphasizing both their physical beauty and their mysterious allure.
Ultimately, the song is a celebration of this deep, soulful connection that the singer has found. The chorus repeats the refrain "You're the one my heart's been waiting for/No less than everything and nothing more/Until the end of time, I feel a dawn/You baby you are all, you are all," which captures the intensity of his feelings and his sense that this love is both infinite and all-encompassing.
Overall, "You Are (Version 2)" is a powerful exploration of the complexities of falling in love, and the deep sense of connection that can be created between two people.
Line by Line Meaning
I found you wearing satin
I discovered you adorned in smooth and glossy clothes
The shade of ebony
Your attire was colored black like ebony
In the silence of my dreams
You appeared only in my dreams when it is silent
You kept me company
You stayed with me, keeping me company
On this secluded island
In a place where we are isolated, only the two of us
Our bodies seem to melt
It feels as if our physical bodies blend together
Intoxicating, overwhelming Intensity
The whole experience is overpowering and spellbinding
You're the one my hearts been waiting for
You are my soulmate, the one my heart has been yearning
No less than everything and nothing more
You are not just anything but everything to me
Until the end of time I feel a dawn?
I sense a new beginning that will last forever?
You baby you are all, you are all.
You are my everything, my all and all
I sketch you to observe you, a smeared reality
I draw you to study you, a blurred version of you
Now you're draped in chocolate, tasty opportunity
Now you are dressed in brown, a delicious chance
to place you, take time to
to position you, take the time to do it right
Rest you on some mantel piece, ignite you, take time to
To display and appreciate you, take the time to do it with care
and everything in between
And all the activities that fall in the middle
To me you read as clearly
To me, you are profoundly obvious
It's like poetry-you've got me
It's like you are a poem, and I cannot resist you
With sexy smile, sexy frown, those frowns
With seductive grin, attractive scowl, and those unappealing anger lines
(those frowns...do what you do)
(Those annoyed expressions of yours, just do what you usually do)
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Peermusic Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ANDRE HARRIS, NATALIE STEWART, VIDAL DAVIS, MARSHA AMBROSIUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind