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.
Yalla Habibi
Karl Wolf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Kaz Money, Rime and the one and only Karl Wolf
Yalla Habibi
We can go
Far away
To a sunny place
Yalla Habibi
To a place and hide
So we can spend time
Yalla Habibi
I miss the cuddlin?
Miss the kissin?
And miss the way you touch me
Why don?t we enjoy the beauty of life?
Yalla Baby
[Karl Wolf]
Lately, seems like I haven?t had the time to enjoy life with you girl
But maybe I should take break from the limelight so we can get away
At least for a few days or a few weeks (yeah)
It would be amazing to treat ourselves just a little bit girl
We can go
Far away
To a sunny place
Yalla Habibi
We can fly
To a place and hide
So we can spend time
Yalla Habibi
I miss the cuddlin?
Miss the kissin?
And miss the way you touch me
Why don?t we enjoy the beauty of life?
Yalla Baby
[Rime]
Baby it?s funny how you say this
Cause I was thinking the same thing
And honey we used to be like Bonnie and Clyde
But now we barely make time for each other
Let?s take a trip together
Go somewhere just you and I
Cause baby it?s been a while
We can go
Far away
To a sunny place
Yalla Habibi
We can fly
To a place and hide
So we can spend time
Yalla Habibi
I miss the cuddlin?
Miss the kissin?
And miss the way you touch me
Why don?t we enjoy the beauty of life?
Yalla Baby
[Kaz Money]
Race to the top
We livin? life in the fast lane
Fast trips ya salam is in fast games
Top of the world looking down work hard
Stick with me girl you gotta be a brave heart
Distracted by flashing lights like Kanye
Somehow you keep me in the zone like Alazay
Either way you deserve it oh you?re a queen like Nefertiti
So
Yalla Habibi
We can go
Far away
To a sunny place
Yalla Habibi
We can fly
To a place and hide
So we can spend time
Yalla Habibi
I miss the cuddlin?
Miss the kissin?
And miss the way you touch me
Why don?t we enjoy the beauty of life?
Yalla Baby
We can go
Far away
To a sunny place
Yalla Habibi
We can fly
To a place and hide
So we can spend time
Yalla Habibi
I miss the cuddlin?
Miss the kissin?
And miss the way you touch me
Why don?t we enjoy the beauty of life?
Yalla Baby
Where else in the world would you wanna be but right here with us right now
Kaz Money, Rime and the one and only Karl Wolf
The lyrics to Karl Wolf's "Yalla Habibi" are a love song that expresses a desire to escape the hustle and bustle of life with a significant other. The chorus repeats the phrase "Yalla Habibi" which is Arabic for "Let's go, my love". The opening lines indicate that this song has a global appeal as they suggest that the song is going "international". As the song proceeds, Karl Wolf starts by acknowledging that he has not had the time to enjoy life with his significant other as he is always in the limelight. He suggests that maybe they should take a break from everything and get away to treat themselves for some time.
In the second verse, Rime expresses that she was thinking the same thing as Karl Wolf and suggests that they go somewhere alone where they can rekindle their love for each other. The third verse sees Kaz Money adding his vocal prowess to the mix to appreciate his significant other's presence in his life. The final verse is a repeat of the chorus followed by the closing lines that encourage the listener to enjoy this moment with Karl Wolf, Rime, and Kaz Money. The song overall is a harmonious blend of smooth lyrics and a catchy hook.
Line by Line Meaning
We goin? international with this one
We are going global with this song
Yalla Habibi
Let's go, my darling
We can go
We can travel together
Far away
To a distant land
To a sunny place
To a warm and bright location
Yalla Habibi
Let's go, my darling
We can fly
We can take a flight
To a place and hide
To a secluded spot
So we can spend time
So we can have quality time together
Yalla Habibi
Let's go, my darling
I miss the cuddlin?
I miss our comforting embraces
Miss the kissin?
I miss our passionate kisses
And miss the way you touch me
I miss the feeling of your touch
Why don?t we enjoy the beauty of life?
Let's take the opportunity to appreciate life's beauty
Yalla Baby
Let's go, baby
Lately, seems like I haven?t had the time to enjoy life with you girl
I haven't been able to spend quality time with you lately
But maybe I should take break from the limelight so we can get away
Perhaps I should step away from the public eye so we can have some time alone
At least for a few days or a few weeks (yeah)
Even if it is just a short amount of time
It would be amazing to treat ourselves just a little bit girl
It would be great to indulge ourselves a bit
Baby it?s funny how you say this
It's amusing how you say the same thing as I do
Cause I was thinking the same thing
Because I was thinking the same as you
And honey we used to be like Bonnie and Clyde
We used to be inseparable partners in crime
But now we barely make time for each other
Nowadays, we hardly get to spend time together
Let?s take a trip together
Let's go on a trip as a couple
Go somewhere just you and I
Go somewhere with just the two of us
Cause baby it?s been a while
Because it's been a long time
Race to the top
Competing to be the best
We livin? life in the fast lane
We are living life at a rapid pace
Fast trips ya salam is in fast games
We take fast trips and move quickly in life
Top of the world looking down work hard
We are at the top of the world but work hard to stay there
Stick with me girl you gotta be a brave heart
Stay with me, and you need to be courageous
Distracted by flashing lights like Kanye
Easily influenced by the flashy things in life like Kanye West
Somehow you keep me in the zone like Alazay
You always keep me focused like Alazay, an energy drink
Either way you deserve it oh you?re queen like Nefertiti
Regardless, you deserve the best, and you are a queen like Nefertiti
Where else in the world would you wanna be but right here with us right now
There is no better place to be than here with us right now
Contributed by Vivian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Obada bd
Yeah, we goin' international with this one
Kaz Money, Rime and the one and only Karl Wolf
Yalla habibi (Let's go)
We can go far away
To a sunny place (Yalla habibi, yeah)
We can fly to a place and hide
So we can spend time (Yalla habibi, yeah)
I miss the cuddlin'
Miss the kissin'
And miss the way you touch me
Why don't we enjoy the beauty of life? (Yeah)
Yalla Baby
Lately
Seems like I haven't had the time to enjoy life with you girl
But maybe
I should take break from the limelight so we can get away
At least
For a few days or a few weeks, yeah
It would be amazing
To treat ourselves just a little bit girl
We can go far away
To a sunny place (Yalla habibi, yeah)
We can fly to a place and hide
So we can spend time (Yalla habibi, yeah)
I miss the cuddlin'
Miss the kissin'
And miss the way you touch me
Why don't we enjoy the beauty of life? (Yeah)
Yalla Baby
Baby it's funny how you say this
'Cause I was thinking the same thing
And honey we used to be like Bonnie and Clyde
But now we barely make time for each other
Let's take a trip together, yeah yeah
Go somewhere just you and I
'Cause baby it's been a while
We can go far away
To a sunny place (Yalla habibi, yeah)
We can fly to a place and hide
So we can spend time (Yalla habibi, yeah)
I miss the cuddlin'
Miss the kissin'
And miss the way you touch me
Why don't we enjoy the beauty of life? (Yeah)
Yalla Baby
Having race to the top
We livin' life in the fast lane
Fast trips ya salam is in fast games
Top of the world looking down work hard
Stick with me girl, you gotta be a brave heart
Distracted by flashing lights like Kanye
Somehow you keep me in the zone like Alazay
Either way you deserve it, oh you're a queen like Nefertiti
So (Yalla habibi, yeah)
We can go far away
To a sunny place (Yalla habibi, yeah)
We can fly to a place and hide
So we can spend time (Yalla habibi, yeah)
I miss the cuddlin'
Miss the kissin'
And miss the way you touch me
Why don't we enjoy the beauty of life? (Yeah)
Yalla Baby (We can go!)
We can go far away
To a sunny place (Yalla habibi, yeah)
We can fly to a place and hide
So we can spend time (Yalla habibi, yeah)
I miss the cuddlin'
Miss the kissin'
And miss the way you touch me
Why don't we enjoy the beauty of life? (Yeah)
Yalla Baby
Where else in the world would you wanna be but right here with us right now
Yeah, Kaz Money, Rime and the one and only Karl Wolf
matthew stephen
When good songs bring you back to that specific time in your life. I was 18 and a freshman in college….now I’m 30 😭😭😭😭
M
same 😭
Nemanja Vuksanovic
Same but also not same at the same time😭
A
Hahahaha same!!
Moss
SAME HERE👌🏾👌🏾👌🏾
sanjuinthedunya
Now I'm in your position ahaha
PEIZ
Despite what others may say, this song gave me inspiration and a good vibe when I was in highschool 10-12 years ago.. damn the time flies
E. J.
The intro, amazing. The voice of the Lady welcoming him: excited and inspiring.
Shayan Saddiq
I’ve been humming this song for years and i finally found it
chase kase
hahahaha omg