Bilal Archives - New Hip Hop News

Bilal Drops ‘Adjust Brightness’, His First Album In Eight Years

September 30, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Today, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bilal makes a triumphant return with his first album of new music in eight years, Adjust Brightness, out now on all major streaming platforms. His long-awaited release features 11 brand-new tracks that showcase Bilal’s visionary approach to blending soul, funk, jazz, and futuristic electronic elements, offering listeners an immersive and boundary-pushing sonic experience. Following the success of his June Black Music Month project, Live at Glasshaus, which featured musical heavyweights like Questlove, Common, Robert Glasper, and more, Bilal’s Adjust Brightness takes his artistry to new heights. The album is a bold step forward in his evolving sound, continuing to defy genre conventions and highlight his unmatched vocal and musical prowess.

Reflecting on his new album, Bilal shares, “I wanted to create music that challenges the digital age — music that confuses the algorithms and speaks to our humanity. Adjust Brightness is about love, warmth, and intimacy. It’s an intimate, human record that speaks to the heart in an era of cold, digital sounds.”

The creation of Adjust Brightness was deeply inspired by a period of musical and visual experimentation. Bilal began to approach his music much like a painter approaches a canvas, focusing on moods, textures, and atmospheres rather than traditional song forms. His experiences with experimental jazz and live performances fed into this avant-garde direction and tracks like “Sunshine” and “Humility” highlight his innovative use of atmospheric grooves, intricate beats, and sonic manipulation.

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Grammy Winning Bilal Drops Cubist Torch Single “Tell Me” Ahead Of LP Release

September 17, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Today, GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bilal unveils new single “Tell Me,” the latest from his forthcoming album Adjust Brightness, out September 27. Following the success of his June Black Music Month release, Live at Glasshaus featuring Questlove, Common, and Robert Glasper, Bilal is back with his first album of new music in eight years. The new work features 11 brand-new tracks that will take listeners on his most daring musical journey yet, marking a bold step forward in Bilal’s already innovative sound.

“Tell Me” is a standout piece from Adjust Brightness, offering a glimpse into the forward-thinking sonic journey Bilal has crafted. The mesmerizing layered vocals are both intimate and raw, creating an abstract yet captivating listening experience. The track deconstructs traditional love ballads, weaving in unconventional structures while retaining a haunting emotional pull. Though it carries the bare and natural essence of a demo, “Tell Me” is masterfully produced, with every sonic detail honed to perfection.

“I realized a long time ago that, with the specter of AI and streaming, we risk losing our humanity,” says Bilal. “With Adjust Brightness, it was like: let’s make some shit that is going to confuse the damn computer. We’re bringing a love frequency — emphasizing the warmth, the love. It’s an intimate record.”

Eight years following 2015’s In Another Life, a collaboration with Adrian Younge that drew from the psychedelic verve of vintage funk, Adjust Brightness marks a bold new chapter for Bilal. This album is a giant step forward, as Bilal merges his organic, soulful roots with experimental electronic influences inspired by artists like Aphex Twin, Stereolab, and Jai Paul. The creation of Adjust Brightness was deeply inspired by a period of musical and visual experimentation. Bilal began to approach his music much like a painter approaches a canvas — focusing on moods, textures, and atmospheres rather than traditional song forms. His experiences with experimental jazz and live performances fed into this avant-garde direction, and tracks like “Sunshine” and “Humility” highlight his innovative use of atmospheric grooves, intricate beats, and sonic manipulation. Though he’s venturing into new territory, the album retains the warmth, intimacy, and emotional core that have always defined Bilal’s artistry.

The post Grammy Winning Bilal Drops Cubist Torch Single “Tell Me” Ahead Of LP Release first appeared on The Source.

The post Grammy Winning Bilal Drops Cubist Torch Single “Tell Me” Ahead Of LP Release appeared first on The Source.

Bilal Shares 2nd Single “Tell Me” From ‘Adjust Brightness’ LP

September 13, 2024 by newhiphopnews

GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bilal will unveil new single “Tell Me,” the latest from his forthcoming album Adjust Brightness, out September 27. Following the success of his June Black Music Month release, Live at Glasshaus featuring Questlove, Common, and Robert Glasper, Bilal is back with his first album of new music in eight years. The new work features 11 brand-new tracks that will take listeners on his most daring musical journey yet, marking a bold step forward in Bilal’s already innovative sound.

Bilal has long been revered for his genre-defying artistry, collaborating with icons like Kendrick Lamar, Beyoncé, and Erykah Badu, while consistently pushing the boundaries of soul, jazz, and R&B. With Adjust Brightness, he delves even deeper into experimental territory, blending electronic elements with his signature organic sound. This new album marks a bold evolution in his career, showcasing his relentless creativity and continued influence on modern music.

The post Bilal Shares 2nd Single “Tell Me” From ‘Adjust Brightness’ LP first appeared on The Source.

The post Bilal Shares 2nd Single “Tell Me” From ‘Adjust Brightness’ LP appeared first on The Source.

Grammy Winner Bilal Returns With ‘Adjust Brightness’, First Album In Eight Years

August 20, 2024 by newhiphopnews

GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bilal returns to the spotlight following the success of his June Black Music Month release featuring Questlove, Common, and Robert Glasper (Live at Glasshaus) –– a powerful reminder of Bilal’s dynamic vocal abilities and songwriting mastery. Now, Bilal is back with his first album of new music in eight years titled Adjust Brightness, out September 27.

The new album features 11 brand-new tracks that will take listeners on his most daring musical journey yet. Adjust Brightness represents a bold step forward in Bilal’s already innovative sound, blending his deep love of soul, funk, and jazz with futuristic, electronic, and abstract elements. Listeners can expect an immersive sonic experience that defies genre conventions, as Bilal continues to evolve and refine his unique style.

To accompany the album announcement, Bilal is sharing lead single “Sunshine,” which possesses the nostalgic groove of New Jack Swing with a moody, atmospheric twist, incorporating slowed-down and experimental elements for a dark, futuristic edge.

The post Grammy Winner Bilal Returns With ‘Adjust Brightness’, First Album In Eight Years first appeared on The Source.

The post Grammy Winner Bilal Returns With ‘Adjust Brightness’, First Album In Eight Years appeared first on The Source.

Bilal, Questlove & Glasper Release “All For Love” From Unreleased ’06 ‘Love For Sale’ LP

May 31, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Today, Glasshaus Presents unveils Grammy-winning artist Bilal’s “All For Love,” the latest single from forthcoming album Live at Glasshaus, a mid-career retrospective featuring a supergroup of Questlove, Common, Robert Glasper, and Burniss Travis. The live record presents Bilal within an ensemble of luminaries to reimagine standouts from his classic repertoire. Live at Glasshaus, out June 14 during Black Music Month, sees Bilal at the peak of his powers, pushing the boundaries of a genre-defying catalog including 1st Born Second, Love For Sale, Airtight’s Revenge, and Common’s seminal Like Water for Chocolate.

“All for Love” was a standout track from Bilal’s shelved 2006 masterpiece Love for Sale, a project that has achieved legendary status among fans and critics alike. Despite its artistic brilliance, the album was never officially released due to a premature leak and subsequent disputes with his former label, Interscope Records. This resulted in the album becoming a cult classic and a significant part of Bilal’s musical legacy.

The post Bilal, Questlove & Glasper Release “All For Love” From Unreleased ’06 ‘Love For Sale’ LP first appeared on The Source.

The post Bilal, Questlove & Glasper Release “All For Love” From Unreleased ’06 ‘Love For Sale’ LP appeared first on The Source.

Bilal, Questlove, Common And Robert Glasper Announce New Live Album ‘Live at Glasshaus’

May 2, 2024 by newhiphopnews

Next week (5/10), Grammy-winning and Philly-bred psychedelic-soul legend Bilal will announce his newest project, Live at Glasshaus, a live album featuring an all-star backing band consisting of Common, Questlove, Robert Glasper, and Burniss Travis.

Spanning over two decades of recorded music, the supergroup gathered for one night only to rework standouts from Bilal’s catalog, including his debut album 1st Born Second, his famously unreleased sophomore album Love For Sale, and a new track; they even visit classics from Common’s seminal Like Water for Chocolate.

The forthcoming release also has a companion docu-concert film (announcing at a later date), capturing the magical evening these legends gathered. Alongside the concert footage are exclusive interviews with the star-studded collaborators that reflect on Bilal’s genius, legacy, creative process, and relationship to the genre. They even go into their friendships origin stories, their history of collaborations, and connection to the Soulquarians.

To accompany the album announce, Bilal is sharing the first single “Something to Hold,” originally recorded at Electric Lady Studios during the height of the Soulquarian era.

The post Bilal, Questlove, Common And Robert Glasper Announce New Live Album ‘Live at Glasshaus’ first appeared on The Source.

The post Bilal, Questlove, Common And Robert Glasper Announce New Live Album ‘Live at Glasshaus’ appeared first on The Source.