Bilal Smoothes His Way Through ‘The Retrospection’ (Review)

Bilal’s new mixtape The Retrospection is definitely something to hold onto.

Set on one continuous track entitled Retrospective of the Man Named Bilal, the tape is chock full of slow jams good for dancing with the one you love or listening to on a rainy day while reading the paper.

Naturally, the absence will make skipping to your favorite song a challenge, but hey, that’s how it was before CD’s, let alone mp3s.

The tape has an hour and seven minutes duration and has a variety of song types. Of course there are a large number of slow jams, it is Bilal after all, but a few of the tracks have a more upbeat tempo.

Bilal sets the tone of the EP with the opening song “Something to Hold Onto,” the R&B songster serenades listeners telling them how they look so sweet that he needs to make them his. The background vocalists are a nice touch and sweeten the deal on this hit. The next song “Heart Won’t Let It” has a nice Isley brothers feel to it. Bilal sings about loving a woman and not being able to let her go. Not only does he not want to, but he sings about physically not being able to. This song is followed up by another slow jam with some nice vocals where Bilal sings about the dangers that can come with trying to label a relationship.

Throughout the mixtape Bilal sings about seeing his future wife to be in the woman that he’s with and how she is all he needs. Other topics on the tape include the lifestyle that comes along with living in Hollywood. Jay-Z is featured on the track “Fallin” where the two sing/rap about always striving for more and still being afraid of losing everything they’ve worked for.

Bilal should be commended for the variety of instruments he uses and the way he uses them on this EP. Piano, saxophone, guitar, you name it and we’re sure that if you listen hard enough you’ll be able to hear it. He successfully managed to do little things that made each song its own.

Bilal’s next album A Love Surreal is set to release early next year. Also, if you’re in a city near Bilal, go check him out live.

12/6 – Oakland, CA – New Parish
12/7 – Los Angeles, CA – The Key Club
12/8 – Sacramento, CA – Harlow’s
12/13 – St. Louis, MO – Cherokee
12/14 – Chicago, IL – The Shrine
12/15 – Indianapolis, IN – Jazz Kitchen
12/16 – Nashville, TN – Jazz and Jokes

In the meantime download The Retrospection HERE.