Songfacts®:

• An altar is a block or table used for making sacrifices or for other religious purposes. Over a bed of synths, Kehlani honors the angels that keep her connected with loved ones she's lost.
  
  So I put you on the altar, stay just a little bit longer
  Laid it out for ya', thought I felt you before
  Now you're closer, closer
  
  Kehlani deals with her grief by maintaining a relationship with those that have departed even though she can't see them. "'Altar' is an offering to those I've lost in the past few years, a nod to the sweet connection one can have when you take the time to nourish and elevate those who've passed on," the Oakland native told Apple Music.
• Kehlani wrote the song with:
  
  Andrew "Pop" Wansel, who also co-produced the track. He previously collaborated with Kehlani on her "Can I" single.
  
  Daoud Anthony. He co-produced every track on Saba's 2018 Care For Me album and also helped Pop Wansel produced this song.
  
  Singer-songwriter India "Ambré" Perkins.
• The song features backing vocals by Ambré and the English singer-songwriter Jacob Collier.