Bilal wants to be a “scientist of music,” so the musician shares how he mixes musical chemicals to concoct his upcoming fourth studio LP A Love Surreal, which is available everywhere on February 26.
The singer-songwriter says this album was initially supposed to be a five-track EP, but the flow of creativity was so strong, that before long, they had enough for a full album. “It was just so easy that the music started to flow…by the fifth day we were like ‘damn, we made a mistake and wrote five extra songs,” he explains.
When it comes to writing music, the place he feels most comfortable is at his mother’s garage, vibing out and getting inspired. But when it came to recording that inspiration, Bilal wanted to be by the beach. “I just wanted to sing a song and give a good performance on the mic, so the beach really calmed my expectations, cause I tried to do this music without having any expectations and just really, let go.”
He says he’s maturing in the way he makes his records; instead of locking down a studio, banging it out, and doing too much on the tracks, he now opts for a simpler approach. “When I went in to do this record, I tried to simplify as much as I could, just to try and make the songs stand out more.”
Delve into Bilal’s music lab below: