A native of Los Angeles, California's San Pedro community, Miguel Jontel Pimentel was involved at the age of 16 with the production company Drop Squad. Three years later, he was offered a slot in Fatty Koo, and appeared on the R&B group's BET reality show, but he turned the position down and eventually signed a solo deal with distribution from major-label Universal. In 2005, "Getcha Hands Up!" was issued as a promotional solo single, and its accompanying video -- showcasing Miguel's dancing skills -- aired on BET. An album, Young & Free, was planned for release, but it was never issued. By that point, Miguel was becoming increasingly known in the underground through his collaborative work with Blu, Exile, and Daz-I-Kue.
Miguel signed a solo deal with Jive in 2007 and continued to work with underground and major-label artists. By the end of the decade, he placed songs on albums by Musiq Soulchild and Asher Roth. He experienced major growth during 2010. Jaheim's "Finding My Way Back," a song he co-wrote, reached number 12 on Billboard's R&B/hip-hop hit (and was subsequently nominated for a Grammy in the category of Best R&B Song). Miguel also co-wrote a pair of the Jam & Lewis-produced songs that appeared on Usher's Raymond v. Raymond, which topped the Billboard 200 just before Miguel made his proper solo debut with the atmospheric hip-hop soul of "All I Want Is You," a Top Ten R&B/hip-hop hit. The parent album, All I Want Is You, followed that November and reached the Top Ten of the R&B/hip-hop albums chart, as well as the Top 40 of the Billboard 200, boosted by "Sure Thing" (number one R&B, number 36 Billboard 200) and "Quickie" (number three R&B). Once Wale's Miguel-assisted Top 40 pop hit "Lotus Flower Bomb" was well on its way to platinum certification, Miguel resumed his solo output in early 2012 with a trilogy of three-song EPs dubbed Art Dealer Chic.
The intermediate releases led to Kaleidoscope Dream, which entered the R&B/hip-hop chart at number one and crossed into the Billboard 200 Top Five in October 2012. The RCA-issued full-length was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category of Best Urban Contemporary Album, while "Adorn," Miguel's second number one R&B/hip-hop single, was nominated for three awards and won for Best R&B Song. The following year, the album's "How Many Drinks?" was nominated as well. Stardom notwithstanding, Miguel remained available for outside work. "#Beautiful," a collaboration with Mariah Carey, was issued in May 2013 and went platinum. Miguel also devoted time between albums to sessions for J. Cole, Janelle Monáe, Big Sean, Jessie Ware, A$AP Rocky (the gold "Everyday"), Mac Miller (the platinum "Weekend"), and Hudson Mohawke.
Miguel's third album, Wildheart, was released in June 2015. Like his previous full-length, it debuted within the Top Five of the Billboard 200, reaching number two and landing in the same spot on the R&B/hip-hop chart. Less melodic than what preceded it, Wildheart emphasized sensual slow jams and was acknowledged with a Grammy nomination in the Best Urban Contemporary Album category. Another round of collaborations, including a duet with Dua Lipa, and singles highlighted by "2 Lovin U" (produced by DJ Premier) and the platinum-certified "Sky Walker" (featuring Travis Scott), preceded the December 2017 release of the urgent War & Leisure. Another R&B/hip-hop chart topper, it also entered the Billboard 200 at number nine. Miguel continued his extracurricular activity through 2018 with Kygo's "Remind Me to Forget" among his most commercially successful featured appearances. His next solo release was the Spanish-language EP Te Lo Dije, which peaked at number 11 on Billboard's Top Latin Albums chart in 2019. Also that year, Alicia Keys' Miguel-assisted "Show Me Love" began its ascent to gold status.
A mix of smaller-scale solo output and featured appearances followed during the first few years of the 2020s. Early in the decade, Miguel was featured on tracks such as Jhené Aiko's platinum "Happiness Over Everything (H.O.E.)." The Art Dealer Chic series of EPs resumed in 2021 with a fourth volume containing the grinding "Funeral." After he was featured on Diplo's "Don't Forget My Love," Miguel saw "Sure Thing" become more popular than ever in 2023 -- thanks to TikTok -- and a re-release of the single consequently reached number 14 on the Hot 100, thereby surpassing "Adorn" as his highest-charting pop single. The singer responded that April with the smoldering slow jam "Give It to Me." ~ Andy Kellman & David Jeffries
Kaleidoscope Dream
Miguel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Collide in a fountain
I missed all the lovers
Kaleidoscope dream,
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) kaleidoscope dream
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) can you imagine
It flickers and flashes
Our joy is electric
Kaleidoscope dream,
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) kaleidoscope dream
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream)
Oh oh, breathe oh oh,
Close your eyes oh oh, you're with me oh oh yeah
Reach high, taste the sky
Just hold, my, hand
Across, the Moon, of hope to fly
You're safe, with me, you're safe, with me
Oh yeah, body language like piano keys
Allow me to provoke babe
You can sing the melody
Every single stroke babe
And as I kiss your third eye
Bet your love come sweet
Only you can be my Kaleidoscope dream (dream)
Kaleidoscope dream (dream)
Kaleidoscope dream (dream)
Kaleidoscope dream (dream)
All these helium hues in array of amusement
Flicking the stars from the sky
Kaleidoscope dream,
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) kaleidoscope dream
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) yeah
Body language like piano keys
Allow me to provoke babe
You can sing the melody
Every single stroke babe
As I kiss your third eye
Bet your love come sweet
Only you can be my Kaleidoscope dream
Kaleidoscope dream,
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) kaleidoscope dream
Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) yeah, yeah
Reach high, taste the sky, just, hold, my, hand (kaleidoscope dream)
Across the Moon, we'll hope to fly
You're safe with me, you're safe with me, kaleidoscope dream (dream)
The lyrics to Miguel's "Kaleidoscope Dream" evoke sensuality, escapism, and a kind of dreamlike euphoria. The singer describes a state of ecstasy - the "infinite colors" of his lover thrill him, and they seem to create a colorful, kaleidoscopic vision in his mind. The singer misses all his previous partners and expresses gratitude for his current lover, her electric energy bringing joy to his life. The lines "body language like piano keys / allow me to provoke babe" suggest that the singer is skilled at reading his lover's signals, and that their physical connection is almost musical in its harmony. The song is about intimacy and connection, but also about the ecstasy of surrendering to sensory pleasures and losing oneself in the moment.
The lyrics of "Kaleidoscope Dream" are a showcase of Miguel's ability to craft vivid images that suggest both the physical and spiritual aspects of love. The image of a "field of red lights" flickering and flashing is both sexual and playful, suggesting both the danger and allure of giving oneself over to someone else. The repetition of "Kaleidoscope dream" throughout the song emphasizes the sensation of being absorbed into something larger than oneself, and the chorus - "reach high, taste the sky / just, hold, my, hand / across the moon, we'll hope to fly / you're safe with me, you're safe with me" - reinforces the theme of surrender and trust.
Line by Line Meaning
I taste you infinite colors
His partner is so vibrant, colorful and diverse that he feels as if he is tasting infinite colors.
Collide in a fountain
Their energy and passion come together in a beautiful and explosive way, like a collision in a fountain.
I missed all the lovers
Despite having been with many lovers, this one is special and he feels he has missed out until now.
Kaleidoscope dream, Kaleidoscope dream (kaleidoscope dream) kaleidoscope dream
The chorus is repeating the title of the song, emphasizing how their love is a kaleidoscope dream.
Can you imagine a field of red lights
The intensity of their love is compared to a field of red lights, bright and passionate.
It flickers and flashes
Their love flickers and flashes like the lights.
Our joy is electric
Their love generates a powerful and electrifying joy.
Oh oh, breathe oh oh, Close your eyes oh oh, you're with me oh oh yeah
He's urging his partner to breathe and feel at peace, that they're together and everything is okay.
Reach high, taste the sky, Just hold, my, hand
He's encouraging his partner to dream big and reach for the sky, but to hold his hand through it all.
Across, the Moon, of hope to fly, You're safe, with me, you're safe, with me
He's saying that together they can fly across the moon of their hopes, and that his partner is safe with him.
Body language like piano keys
Their body language is like the keys of a piano, an intricate and beautiful dance.
Allow me to provoke babe
He's asking permission to provoke her, to push her out of her comfort zone in a playful and loving way.
You can sing the melody, Every single stroke babe
He's telling her that she can sing to him with every movement she makes; it's a beautiful, musical experience.
And as I kiss your third eye, Bet your love come sweet
He's saying that as he kisses her third eye, her intuition and understanding, he knows that her love will be sweet and true.
Only you can be my Kaleidoscope dream (dream)
He's telling her that she is the only one who can make his kaleidoscope dream come true, that she is the one he loves.
All these helium hues in array of amusement, Flicking the stars from the sky
He's describing their love as an array of bright and colorful hues, like the helium in balloons, that have the power to move stars.
Reach high, taste the sky, just, hold, my, hand (kaleidoscope dream)
The chorus is repeating, encouraging them to dream big and fly high, but to always hold hands with each other, and that their love is a kaleidoscope dream.
Across the Moon, we'll hope to fly, You're safe with me, you're safe with me, kaleidoscope dream (dream) yeah, yeah
He's reiterating that they can fly across the moon of their hopes, that his partner is safe with him, and that their love is a kaleidoscope dream.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: SALAAM REMI, MIGUEL PIMENTEL, LABI SIFFRE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind