Bilal is back. The elusive singer and songwriter has released his new single, “Sunshine.”
On a jittery backdrop, Bilal’s raspy and animated vocals create a hazily radiant cut, allowing us to appreciate the golden beams before the warm season winds down.
“Sunshine” is the first single from Bilal’s new album, Adjust Brightness, which releases Sept. 27. It will follow Live at Glasshaus, a live release that was issued in June as part of Black Music Month.
The 11-track album, featuring Questlove, Common, Robert Glasper, and Burniss Travis, was recorded and filmed at Bilal’s intimate show at Glasshaus in Brooklyn.
Live at Glasshaus featured Bilal’s live performance of signature songs from his catalog, including “Soul Sista” and “Sometimes,” plus unreleased gems like “Something to Hold,” which was released as the lead single.
Adjust Brightness will also mark Bilal’s first original album since 2015’s In Another Life. The latter project debuted at No. 9 on Billboard’s Top R&B Albums chart.
The Adrian Younge-produced project also debuted at No. 24 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart.
In Another Life features the single “Satellites” and includes contributions from Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., and Kimbra. “I Don’t Really Care” stands out as the album’s most streamed song on Spotify, with over 4.8 million streams at the time of publication.
According to press materials, 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.”
“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.”
Bilal will support Adjust Brightness with a headlining tour in the fall, featuring special guests Halima, Aliah Sheffield, Madison McFerrin, and Melanie Charles.
The North American tour begins on Oct. 7 at The Egg in Albany, New York, and then continues to cities such as Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Nashville, Los Angeles, and Portland.
The tour will conclude Oct 26 at Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Tickets for Bilal’s Adjust Brightness Tour are available now on his official website.
Beforehand, Bilal will perform later this month at 99 Scott in Brooklyn and at the John Coltrane International Jazz & Blues Festival in High Point, North Carolina.
Stream Bilal’s new song “Sunshine” below.