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
Waves
Miguel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The song "Waves" by Miguel is a seductive ode to a lover, using surfing metaphors to describe the passion and intensity of their physical connection. Miguel sets the tone right from the start with the command, "set it up, keep rollin', rollin', drop it." The line "drop it like it's stolen" is a nod to the popular phrase "drop it like it's hot," but with a more illicit connotation. He then goes on to express his desire to ride the wave of this passionate love, comparing his lover's body to one built for the beach.
The chorus is a simple yet effective repetition of the desire to ride that wave all night long, and the verses continue with the surfing metaphors, suggesting the wild and adventurous nature of their love. Lines like "Bet you turn up when I pipe down" and "I'ma get it 'til I wipe out" are references to surfing lingo, with "wiping out" meaning falling off the surfboard.
Overall, the song captures the intensity and exhilaration of a passionate physical connection, using surfing language to add an air of adventure and risk-taking to the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Uh, set it up, keep rollin', rollin', drop it
Start the music and don't stop, keep the beat going, drop it like it's hot
Baby, drop it like it's stolen, stolen, and I
Babe, dance like you mean it, like you stole the show, and I'll join you
Yeah, I wanna
I desire
I wanna ride that wave, oh, baby, ha, yeah
I want to experience the excitement and exhilaration of surfing a wave, oh baby, yes
Body built for the beach, do you got that ocean?
Do you have a body that belongs on the beach? Are you ready to dive into the ocean with me?
Body surf, don't sleep, body surf on me
Let's keep swimming and moving, don't just lie down, let's body surf together
Don't stop (don't stop)
Keep going, don't stop
I wanna ride that wave (wanna ride that wave, ha, yeah, baby)
I really want to experience that feeling of riding a wave (yes baby, I do)
All night (all night)
Throughout the entire night
I'm gonna ride that wave (I'm gonna ride that wave)
I'm going to experience the thrill of surfing a wave
Look here, I'm gon' surf in it, baby
I'll hop on that wave and ride it to the end, baby
Get turnt in it, baby, put work in it, baby
Let's have some fun, work hard and make the most of this wave
Keep working it while I ride that wave
You keep dancing and having fun while I ride the wave
Put it out, I'm on fire, fire
I am on fire, full of energy
That's what I'm about, take me higher, higher, tonight
That's what I'm all about, taking things to the next level, higher and higher, tonight
Bet you turn up when I pipe down
I bet you will get even more excited when I finally calm down and relax
I'ma get it 'til I wipe out
I'm going to ride this wave until I can't hold on anymore and wipe out
Bully that thing, baby, lights out
Let's take full control and dominate this wave, baby, until the end
Let it crash down on me, Let it splash down on me
I want to fully immerse myself in this wave and feel it crash and splash on me
Body surf, don't sleep, until I hit the peak, oh
Keep body surfing and don't give up until we reach the peak of this wave, oh yeah
I'm gonna ride that wave
I am determined to surf that wave
Yeah, get wild, baby, so hot, God damn, I need a towel baby
Let's get crazy and wild, baby, the atmosphere is turning hot and I need a towel
I could wipe you down right now, baby
I could wipe off your sweat and cool you down
Let me ride that wave right now, baby
I want to surf that wave this moment, baby
Don't you stop, no, no
Please don't stop, let's keep going
I'm gonna ride that wave (I'm gonna ride that wave, now)
I am so ready to surf that wave right now
Yeah, get wild, baby, so hot, God damn, I need a towel, baby (God damn)
Things are heating up, baby, and I desperately need a towel
Let me ride that wave right now, baby (give it to me, yeah)
Please, let me surf that wave this instant, baby, I am ready
Keep working it, baby
Keep dancing, moving, and having fun, baby
Lyrics © O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: Francis Apuhin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@amberjodyroomaney5863
this nigga underrated AF
@JosiahDaPrince
Yes! He deserves more popularity. One of the best musicians
@oildown25
I agree, sighs I feel it for him. At least there are people out there who love his style and that is wat is important. True talent will never be silenced!
@slappingstuff7586
He's my secret pleasure lol
@powpowzombieslugs702
He hella is ,he's a good ass artist
@gianmagnaye8811
cuz people nowadays is more on looks than talent. They're listening to music using their eyes not ears. I pity them
@goldenxronnie3739
Miguel is so fucking talented. He always puts out amazing quality music. Wild heart was amazing. He reminds me of Lenny kravitz and prince mixed with that alt R&B sound. Miguel is extremely talented.
@goldenxronnie3739
The cameos though. I saw J Cole, Wale and kilo Kish pretty ass.
@danielgomez3224
+Goldenxronnie same lol
@willywonka7238
I was thinking exactly the same! Prince and Lenny