Bilal has released his new single titled ‘Sunshine’ from his upcoming album ‘Adjust Brightness’, out September 27th. This marks the GRAMMY Award-winning artist Bilal return to the spotlight following the success of his June Black Music Month release featuring Questlove, Common, and Robert Glasper, 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.
New Jack Swing with old school cool, Bilal takes the freeform attitude one usually finds in jazz and fuses it with a world sound to literally make something new yet tangible. Beautifully crafted and lovingly born, ‘Sunshine’ sheds the light on the imagination and hooks the hope of the listener with inspiration and beauty meant for muses.
About Bilal & ‘Sunshine’
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.
“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.”
Tracklist
- Ever Changing
- Sunshine
- Lay Around
- Tell Me
- Who We Are Now
- A to Z
- The Story featuring Robert Glasper
- Micro Macro
- Adjust Brightness
- Conditional
- The Other Day
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.
Earlier this year, during Black Music Month, Bilal released the critically acclaimed Live at Glasshaus (via Glasshaus Presents), a mid-career retrospective featuring Questlove, Common, Robert Glasper, and Burniss Travis. The live record presented Bilal within an ensemble of luminaries to reimagine standouts from his classic repertoire, shining a spotlight on his ever-evolving artistry that asserts, in 2024, he is at the height of his powers, eternally honing his craft and finding new edges in his voice.
In celebration of Adjust Brightness, Bilal will embark on a national tour with stops in New York City, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, and more. Fans can look forward to experiencing Bilal’s electrifying live performances, with a setlist featuring both new material from Adjust Brightness and classic hits from his storied career. This tour will offer fans across the country the opportunity to witness the next chapter in Bilal’s evolution as an artist.
LINKS:
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