Sunday Music: When Picking On Your Friends Makes A Hit ("Sometimes" By Bilal)
October 5, 2025·0 comments·zg
You know when somebody tells you how something is made, and then you just can’t get it out of your head?
“Sometimes” was a quasi hit for Bilal. It’s a song full of nuance. It feels vulnerable, and in the early 2000s, it was a different type of exposed to hear - all grey with no blacks or whites:
Sometimes, I wish I wasn't me
Sometimes, I wish I was drug free
Sometimes, wish I saw the exit sign first
Sometimes, wish I knew the truth without search
Excerpt from “Sometimes” by Bilal
It gets stuck in your head too. It’s that kind of song. And your brain just runs with these ideas if you let yourself, which is one of the great gifts of Bilal’s approach. It’s true artistry. It’s uniquely him and his style.
I had never heard the origin story of the song though.
And, when I did, I can’t hear the song the same way anymore. Not because it ruined it. The story probably makes it even better, honestly. But I can’t hear it the same way because it is so obvious where it’s from. I simultaneously can’t believe I didn’t figure it out and know exactly why I didn’t figure it out sooner.
I was watching a Live at Glasshaus performance by Bilal (with Robert Glasper, Questlove, Burniss Travis, and Common), when 20 minutes in we get the story of “Sometimes” from Questlove. I’m going to paraphrase for clarity, but these are my notes from how he told it.
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