When Karl Wolf describes the six months since the release of his solo debut, Face Behind The Face, as "just insane," he means it in a good way. A frenzied work schedule of shooting videos, doing promotional tours, and performing in Canada and abroad is paying off, as the world is responding welcomingly to this vibrant new star.
Karl Wolf is a genuine triple threat of talent. A songwriter, producer and singer of serious skill and originality, he excels in all three roles on Face Behind The Face (released on MapleNationwide/Universal in January). As Karl sings on the title track, "I'm coming out for the whole world to see," and this is one memorable introduction.
Since its release, the album broke in the Canadian Top 100 sales chart and spawned two hit singles, "Butterflies" and "Desensitize", with the latter track (featuring hip hop star Choclair) reaching the BDS Top 40 charts. Face Behind The Face has been licensed internationally, and has made Karl Wolf an instant star in the Middle East. "'Butterflies' was at No. 1 for eight weeks on the radio there," explains Karl. "We had the biggest ever in-store signing at the Virgin store in Dubai." Wolf performed in Dubai as the special guest of the queen of modern r 'n b, Mary J. Blige, and he knocked the stadium crowd over. Add in personal props from Mary J., and you have what Karl terms "the pinnacle point of my career to date."
Wolf is destined for many more career highlights. He may be new as a solo artist, but he is certainly no musical novice. As an award-winning producer and writer, he has been responsible for many multi-platinum selling albums. It is now his time to take centrestage, and he seizes his moment with true authority.
Karl turned his back on lucrative offers of work with other artists to devote himself to Face Behind The Face. "I told myself that sooner or later I have to focus on my own music or it will just wither away. Now is the time," he explains. This meant becoming something of a recluse, burying himself in his own studio and working tirelessly on the record. "I locked myself in," recalls Karl. "I hardly went out for two years. I was a bum, I grew a beard, and would just order in pizza. I was obsessed but focused. I wanted to be right there when I had the inspiration!"
The fruits of this creative compulsion are indeed tasty. Wolf wrote and produced all the songs on Face Behind The Face, and played virtually all the instruments himself. This is a musically diverse collection of songs, fusing r 'n b, dance, pop and hiphop stylings. It is given coherence via the gentle soulfulness of KarlÕs voice and lyrics, while his beats are both imaginative and catchy, sometimes hinting at his own Middle Eastern background.
Wolf acknowledges the likes of Boyz II Men, Michael Jackson and Brian McKnight as early influences and inspirations. "I feel my music has contemporary elements but it is not scared to be emotional," he explains. "It is just the music I like. I grew up in the '80s, and music was emotional then. Today, especially in r 'n b and hiphop, everyone wants to be hard."
In musical and lyrical terms, Karl Wolf is a lover, not a fighter. Through his own family's history, he knows the consequences of war and violence, as his family was forced to leave their native Lebanon for Canada when Karl was just three. That background surfaces in the track "Summer Days (In Beirut)", and Wolf is not afraid to project positivity in his lyrics. "I am trying to be peaceful in my meaning and message. We are influential as singers, and IÕd love to influence kids in a great way."
The return of war to the country of his birth clearly saddens Karl. Plans to perform in Lebanon with Snoop Dogg obviously fell through, but he takes pride in the fact that "Summer Days" is having a positive impact there. "People there are adding the song to their Myspace sites, using it for healing," he notes.
Face Behind The Face is an honest and personal document, and Karl Wolf's definitive musical statement. "I'm most proud of this record. This is the best piece of work I have created to date, and it is important I went down my earlier musical road, just so I could gain the experience needed to create this."
Still just 27, Karl has long been the recipient of serious respect from his musical peers. He first made a real mark by writing for and co-producing "ETC..", the 2001 hit album from Gabrielle Destroismaisons. Two singles co-written by Karl reached No. 1 on the BDS Francophone Charts, and the disc earned him a Felix at the L'ADISQ Awards for "Best Mix and Sound of the Year."
His work with Gabrielle brought Wolf to the attention of Antoine Sicotte, of the top-selling pop band Sky. Upon realizing Karl also had a killer singing voice, Antoine recruited him as Sky's new lead singer in 2002. Wolf co-wrote and co-produced the third Sky album, Picture Perfect (on Sextant/EMI), one that registered strong airplay across the country. The group also toured nationally, sharing stages with the likes of Snow and Shawn Desman.
Karl and Antoine really hit the commercial jackpot with their joint work on the songs on the hugely successful Star Academie reality TV show. The subsequent album was the biggest-selling album in Canada in 2003, notching a phenomenal half-million in sales and earning Wolf a SOCAN Award for Most Popular Song. A Star Academie 11 sequel in 2004 was another big success, going double-platinum largely on the strength of Karl's writing and production.
Add in production and composition work for such other artists as Emily, Mitsou and Jerome-Philippe, and a stint as vocalist with the multi-platinum selling rap group Dubmatique, and you have one highly impressive apprenticeship. Word of his talent has spread Stateside as well, with such stars as Justin Timberlake, Christina Millan and Mya all requesting that Karl send them material.
There is plenty of life left in the filler-free Face Behind The Face. The upcoming singles "Cuz I Love You" and "Referee" further demonstrate Wolf's stylistic range, and his cross-Canada back to school Summer Days tour will confirm his prowess as a compelling performer.
The world is about to hear the sound of the Wolf, and it is one they are destined to remember. "I'm excited, and there are a lot of good things to come," Karl declares. Indeed.
Jealous
Karl Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Babe, I was just jealous
Didn't mean to make you cry
But I was just jealous
When I saw you with a guy
I couldn't resist
Cause I knew this was it
You would leave me for him
The reason to worry
Never thought you'd pack
And leave like that in a hurry
We're just going through a phase
But now that you're gone
I know it's too late
When you walked out that gate
Didn't mean to cause a fight
Babe, I was just jealous
Didn't mean to make you cry
But I was just jealous
When I saw you with a guy
I couldn't resist
Cause I knew this was it
You would leave me for him
Would've told you just to hold me
The reason to worry
Never thought you'd pack
And leave like that in a hurry
We're just going through a phase
But now that you're gone
I know it's too late
When you walked out that gate
Didn't mean to cause a fight
Babe, I was just jealous
Didn't mean to make you cry
But I was just jealous
When I saw you with a guy
I couldn't resist
Cause I knew this was it
You would leave me for him
Would've told you just to hold me
The reason to worry
Never thought you'd pack
And leave like that in a hurry
We're just going through a phase
But now that you're gone
I know it's too late
When you walked out that gate
(I was just jealous)
Didn't mean to cause a fight
Babe, I was just jealous
Didn't mean to make you cry
But I was just jealous
When I saw you with a guy
I couldn't resist
Cause I knew this was it
You would leave me for him
Would've told you just to hold me
The reason to worry
Never thought you'd pack
And leave like that in a hurry
We're just going through a phase
But now that you're gone
I know it's too late
When you walked out that gate
(I was just jealous)
The lyrics to Karl Wolf's song "Jealous" revolve around the feeling of jealousy in a relationship. The singer is repentant for causing a fight with his partner due to his feelings of jealousy which made his lover cry. Despite being aware of the irrationality of his jealousy, he could not help feel uncontrollably jealous when he saw his lover with a guy. The singer is remorseful for not expressing his needs to his lover and now that she has left him, he realizes that it is too late. He then acknowledges that the end of the relationship might have occurred due to a "phase" they were going through, but he takes responsibility for his actions and realizes that it was his jealousy that made him lose his lover.
The lyrics speak to a common human emotion of being insecure and envious in a romantic relationship. The singer's desire to hold onto his lover and his fear of losing her leads him to act possessive which subsequently damages the relationship. In essence, the song is a warning to all of us not to let fear and jealousy ruin our relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't mean to cause a fight
I did not intentionally want to provoke an argument between us
Babe, I was just jealous
My emotions got the best of me, and I had an intense feeling of envy towards the situation
Didn't mean to make you cry
I didn't intend to bring tears to your eyes, however, my irrational behavior caused me to do so
But I was just jealous
My strong sense of insecurity and fear of losing you caused me to act out of character
When I saw you with a guy
The sight of you with another man triggered a moment of overwhelming emotions
I couldn't resist
I was unable to control my feelings and actions in that particular moment
Cause I knew this was it
I felt that it was the end for us in that moment because you were spending time with someone else
You would leave me for him
In my mind, I had convinced myself that you were going to end our relationship and choose him over me
Would've told you just to hold me
I wish I had the courage to express my feelings of insecurity and ask for your affection in that moment rather than acting out of jealousy
The reason to worry
My fear of losing you made me feel that every interaction with another man was a cause for concern
Never thought you'd pack
I didn't expect you to suddenly leave me
And leave like that in a hurry
The speed with which you left made me realize the severity of the situation
We're just going through a phase
I believed our relationship troubles were temporary
But now that you're gone
Now that you are no longer here, I understand how serious our issues were
I know it's too late
I recognize that my actions have caused permanent damage to our relationship
When you walked out that gate
The moment you left, I knew things were never going to be the same between us
(I was just jealous)
Throughout the song, the artist emphasizes that their actions were based solely on an intense feeling of envy, not on a rational thought process.
Contributed by Austin O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.