James Blake | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Blake performing in 2021 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Harmonimix |
| Born | James Blake Litherland (1988-09-26)26 September 1988 (age 37) Enfield, London, England |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Works | Discography (songs) |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | |
| Partner | Jameela Jamil (2015–present) |
| Father | James Litherland |
| Website | jamesblakemusic |
| Signature | |
 | |
James Blake Litherland (born 26 September 1988)[1] is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. Known for his emotive, soulfullight head voice and use offalsetto, he first gained recognition following the release of threeextended plays—The Bells Sketch,CMYK andKlavierwerke—in 2010. He signed withA&M Records to release hisself-titled debut album (2011) the following year, which was met with critical praise and peaked within the top ten of theUK Albums Chart.[2]
Blake departed A&M in favour of sister labelRepublic Records, on which he released his second album,Overgrown (2013) to further critical and commercial success; it likewise peaked within the chart's top ten and moderately entered the USBillboard 200.[3] His third album,The Colour in Anything (2016), was followed by his 2018 single "King's Dead" (withJay Rock,Kendrick Lamar andFuture), which peaked at number 50 on theUK Singles Chart and number 21 on theBillboard Hot 100. Its success foresaw the release of his fourth album,Assume Form (2019), which became his highest-charting entry on both the UK Albums Chart andBillboard 200. His fifth and sixth albums,Friends That Break Your Heart (2021) andPlaying Robots Into Heaven (2023), followed thereafter.
Along with recording, Blake has donesongwriting and production work for other artists. Often doing so withOneohtrix Point Never,Dominic Maker,Justin Vernon or his partnerJameela Jamil, Blake has been credited on releases forJay-Z,Kanye West,Beyoncé,Kendrick Lamar,Frank Ocean,Rosalía,Strick,JID,Travis Scott,Normani, andLil Yachty.[2] He has won a Mercury Prize from two nominations, twoGrammy Awards from nine nominations, aLatin Grammy Award, and threeBrit Award nominations.[4]
Blake is the only child of musicianJames Litherland and Helen Litherland, and showed an interest and aptitude in music from a young age.[5] He received classical training in piano as a child,[6] and completed primary education at Grange Park Primary School, Winchmore Hill and secondary education atThe Latymer School,Edmonton.[7] He went on toGoldsmiths, University of London, where he received a degree in Popular Music.[8] While at university, Blake and friends hosted a series of "Bass Society" music nights that featured UK artists such asDistance,Skream andBenga.
Blake began his music career by releasing his debut 12"record,Air & Lack Thereof in the United Kingdom during July 2009, while being persistent in recording songs in his bedroom. Having been released on the record label Hemlock, the extended play became a favourite ofBBC Radio 1 DJGilles Peterson.[9] Soon after the release of the record, Blake was invited by Peterson to do a special mix on his international show, including an exclusiveMount Kimbie track.[9] As a second-year composition assignment for his studies at Goldsmiths, he submitted theKlavierwerke EP which was awarded high marks.[10]
A third EP, entitledCMYK, was released throughR&S Records during 2010.[11] The title track, "CMYK" was selected byBBC Radio 1 DJNick Grimshaw as hisRecord of the Week[12] and also received airplay from other DJs. On 29 September 2010,Zane Lowe selected Blake'scover version of "Limit to Your Love" as his "Hottest Record in the World". The song was written and originally recorded byFeist and appeared on her studio album,The Reminder. The single was released in the United Kingdom on 28 November 2010,[13] where it debuted on theUK Singles Chart at number 47.[14]
Blake was nominated for theBBC'sSound of 2011, an annual poll that highlights the forthcoming year's likely successful musicians.[15] He placed second ahead of fellow shortlisted actsThe Vaccines,Jamie Woon andClare Maguire. On 15 December 2010, Blake was runner-up behind singer-songwriterJessie J at theBRIT Awards' "Critic's Choice".[16] In January 2011, Blake was awarded Single of the Year (2010) for "CMYK" at Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards. Blake's work found itself on numerous 2010 year-end best-of lists, with "CMYK" ranking 24th onFrontier Psychiatrist's top 40 songs of the year,[17]the Bells Sketch/CMYK/Klavierwerke EPs ranking 8th onPitchfork Media's top 50 albums of 2010, and "I Only Know (What I Know Now)" ranking 8th on Pitchfork's top 100 tracks of 2010.[18]
Blake revealed in late December 2010 that his album would be self-titled, and the 11-trackJames Blake was released on 7 February 2011.[19] Only days after the original announcement was made, the album was leaked onto the internet.[20] On 9 January 2011, "The Wilhelm Scream" was trailed as the album's second single ("Limit To Your Love" was also included on the album).[21] In February 2011, Blake first appeared on the cover of the publicationThe Fader, in its 72nd issue.[22] Blake debuted a collaboration withBon Iver called "Fall Creek Boys Choir" in August 2011 and during the next month, theBBC released an exclusive mix by Blake, which included 10 of his unreleased songs. These included "Deeds", "Olivia Kept", and "Evening Fell Hard for Us". During the final weeks of 2012, Blake performed three "intimate" shows where he debuted new songs.[23]
Later that year, Blake released both theEnough Thunder andLove What Happened Here EPs in 2011. These EPs, noticeably more structured than his previous releases, featured R&B-tinged work as opposed to the experimental electronic style found onCMYK.
Early in 2012, Blake spent time with American rapperKanye West (who named Blake as his favourite artist)[24] and singerJustin Vernon. Later that year, Blake announced a new collaborative non-single release under the moniker Harmonimix with British rapperTrim; the single "Confidence Boost/Saying" was released on 24 September 2012. Also in 2012, Blake and friends (including Foat, Nick Sigsworth, and touring musicians Rob McAndrews and Ben Assiter) secured a residency at the club Plastic People as the collective1-800 Dinosaur, hosting a series of impromptu dance nights.[25] In summer 2013, the collective launched a label of the same name, on which Blake and other artists released material.[25]
His second album,Overgrown, was released on 5 April 2013.[26] The first single from the album, "Retrograde", was debuted the same day on BBC Radio 1, and was released on 11 February. On 25 February, the track listing and album art were revealed.[27] It was selected as Variance Magazine's Album of the Year as of December 2013.[28] The album features guest appearances from noted electronic music producerBrian Eno and rapperRZA ofWu-Tang Clan.[29] The release received critical acclaim and was awarded the 2013Mercury Prize. Blake revealed toHot Press that falling in love had influenced the warmnu-soul sound on the album, as opposed to the experimentalism found on his self-titled effort.[30] A remix featuringChance the Rapper, of a track fromOvergrown, "Life Round Here", was released on 11 October alongside a music video directed byNabil Elderkin.[31][32]
In an interview withSpotify, Blake revealed that a day prior to the release ofDrake's single "0 to 100 / The Catch Up", he received an email asking whether a beat from one of his older tracks could be used on the single; he refused and asked Drake's label to remove the sample. Blake's publisher later approached him and asked him about his decision. Blake in return asked how much money he had lost by turning down the offer and reportedly spat out his drink when he found out.[33]
In December 2014, during his BBC Radio 1 Residency, Blake announced that his third studio album would be titledRadio Silence and would be released in the first half of 2015.[34][35] He later confirmed that the album would featureBon Iver andKanye West, as well as feature guitar work fromConnan Mockasin.[36]Blake received aGrammy Award nomination in 2014 forBest New Artist.[37]
On 11 February 2016, Blake premiered a new song entitled "Modern Soul" during his BBC Radio 1 residency.[38] On 14 April 2016, Blake revealed during a surprise hosting spot on BBC Radio 1 that he'd finished the album, and that it was 18 tracks in length. He stated that it includes one track that stretches to 20 minutes in length. Later in the broadcast he premiered a new song titled 'Timeless', though did not say whether it would be included on the album.[39] In a May 2016 interview withBBC Radio 1, Blake stated that he began work on the album in England, and after "running out of steam" went to the United States to complete the recording at Shangri La Studios with producerRick Rubin.[40]
Blake produced and was featured on the song "Forward" fromBeyoncé's 2016 albumLemonade. He also co-wrote the album's opening track, "Pray You Catch Me". On 28 April, social media posts by Blake and his label, 1-800 Dinosaur, reposted photos of a mural by children's novel illustrator SirQuentin Blake (best known for his work with writerRoald Dahl) that hinted at the new album titleThe Colour in Anything;[41] this was confirmed as the title of his new album several days later.[42] The album was released on 6 May 2016.[43]
Blake collaborated withJay-Z on his album4:44, handling the production on two of the three bonus tracks off the album and was also featured on the bonus track "MaNyfaCedGod".[44][45] He also handled production onKendrick Lamar's song "Element" as the original version of the track sounded "a little too jazzy".[46] On 2 September 2016, Blake released a remix of "Timeless" featuringVince Staples which had already been leaked on the internet earlier.[47] In December 2017, Blake released a cover of the song "Vincent" byDon McLean alongside a performance video shot in the studio.[48]
On 11 January 2018, Blake co-wrote and performed alongsideJay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, andFuture on the single "King's Dead" from Rock's albumRedemption and the soundtrackBlack Panther: The Album.[49][50] The song was commercially successful, reaching number 21 in the United States and number 50 in the United Kingdom; later, the song (alongsideAnderson .Paak's "Bubblin") would receive theGrammy Award For Best Rap Performance at the2019 ceremony.[51][52] Blake also appeared on another track from theBlack Panther soundtrack album, "Bloody Waters", which Blake co-wrote alongside Lamar,Mark Spears,Robin Braun andAb-Soul.[49]
On 26 January 2018, Blake released a new single, "If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead", alongside its music video, having premiered at his BBC Radio 1 residency.[53] Blake's second solo single of that year, "Don't Miss It", was shared on 24 May alongside alyric video and was released the next month.[54][55] Despite receiving acclaim from music critics, a less positive review by Kevin Lozano ofPitchfork described the track as "sad boy music" prompted a response from Blake, who said "I can't help but notice, as I do whenever I talk about my feelings in a song, that the words 'sad boy' are used to describe it. I've always found that expression to be unhealthy and problematic when used to describe men just openly talking about their feelings."[56][57]
Blake mixed and worked on additional production on the ninth album by American electronic musicianOneohtrix Point Never, titledAge Of, which was released in June 2018.[58] He also co-wrote and was featured on the track "Stop Trying to Be God" fromTravis Scott's third studio album,Astroworld, and made an appearance in the song's music video.[59]
In December 2018, Blake announced that he would be embarking on a tour of North America in February/March 2019.[60] People who had purchased tickets for the North America tour also received a copy of his forthcoming album.[61] Later that month Blake teased new material withAndré 3000 during a show inBrooklyn, his second collaboration with the artist after "Look Ma No Hands" on which Blake provided the piano part, which was released earlier that year.[62][63] In early January 2019,Amazon.fr accidentally leaked details of Blake's fourth album,Assume Form, including its track listing and a list of features including collaborations with André 3000, Travis Scott andMetro Boomin.[64][65][66] Soon after,LEDbillboards appeared inLondon andNew York promoting the album.[67] The album's release date was later confirmed to be on 18 January 2019 due to advertising in theLondon Underground.[68] The day prior to the album's release, Blake released the tracks "Mile High" featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin[69][70] and "Lullaby for My Insomniac", respectively.[71][72] Following the album's release, the tracks "Barefoot in the Park" and "Mulholland", the latter of which is only included on the vinyl version ofAssume Form, were released as singles on 4 and 26 April respectively, the former accompanied by a music video.[73][74][75][76]
Blake released several new tracks throughout 2020,[77] including "You're Too Precious",[78] as well as theBefore EP in October.[79]
Blake released his fifth album,Friends That Break Your Heart, on 8 October 2021, following a delay due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. A mostly stylistically traditional release, the record was followed-up by anambient album titledWind Down on 18 March 2022, created with Germanartificial intelligence media companyEndel to help listeners fall asleep.[80] The following year saw Blake collaborate with severalhip hop artists, such asKanye West,[81]Flatbush Zombies,[82]JID[83] andDon Toliver.[84] Blake released his sixth album,Playing Robots Into Heaven, on 8 September 2023.[85] The album featureselectronic,dance, andexperimental music and was seen by critics as a return to his musical roots. The lead single, "Big Hammer", was released on 28 June 2023.[86] A heist-themed music video was directed by Oscar Hudson and follows around three robbers in white tracksuits.[87]
Blake left Polydor Records and formed CMYK Group, a production house and record label, in 2024.[88][89] He released the music video and single "Thrown Around" in May 2024. The following month, Blake released the "CMYK 002" extended play andBad Cameo, a collaborative album withLil Yachty.[90][91]
Blake was previously in a relationship with American musicianTheresa Wayman and has been in a relationship with British actressJameela Jamil since 2015[update].[92][93]
Blake is abaritone. His early releases are experimental andelectronic in style,[94] influenced by UKbass music such asdubstep and2-step garage.[95][96][97] On releases such asThe Bells Sketch,CMYK andKlavierwerke, Blake's own voice is obscured andprocessed, also incorporating vocalsamples from '90s R&B, prominentsub-bass frequencies, and uneven, sparse rhythms.[95][98][99] Blake's work was described by journalists as "post-dubstep", alluding to his progress beyond the style's initial characteristics.[100][101]
By the time of his 2011debut album, Blake's vocals and piano had become more prominent while traditional song structures became increasingly apparent, reflecting the influence ofgospel andsoul.[98][102] His second albumOvergrown (2013) continued this trend, integrating an electronic approach with balladry and Blake's soul-inflected vocals.[94][95] Describing his stylistic development in 2013, music critic and theoristMark Fisher wrote that "listening back to Blake's records in chronological sequence is like hearing a ghost gradually assume material form; or it's like hearing the song form (re)coalescing out of digital ether."[95] Dash Lewis ofPitchfork summarized his career as a "journey from club deconstructionist to pop auteur," describing his 2021 albumFriends That Break Your Heart as a "brightly colored,features-heavysinger-songwriter collection that careened through genres, light-years from theminimalism of his early work."[103] His 2024 albumPlaying Robots Into Heaven marked a partial return to his electronic club roots.[103]
Blake was formatively influenced by the sparse dubstep ofBurial andDigital Mystikz alongsidesinger-songwriters such asStevie Wonder,D'Angelo,Joni Mitchell, andSly Stone.[95][104] In 2016, Blake revealed that a primary inspiration for his live performances was theJimi Hendrix live albumBand of Gypsys (1970), stating that "I want to bethat. It’s so free."[105]
Solo studio albums
Collaborative studio album
On 19 July 2011, Blake was nominated for theMercury Music Prize 2011 for his self-titled debut album;[3] the award was won byPJ Harvey. However, in 2013, he was nominated again forOvergrown, and subsequently won the award, the result being announced on 30 October. The judges at the event described his album as "...late-night music for the digital age. An inventive, poignant and poetic record of great beauty."[106][107] He was also nominated forBest New Artist at the2014 Grammy Awards, he won one out of five Grammy Awards nominations.
| Award | Year | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Music Video Awards | 2018 | Best Experimental | "If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead" | Nominated | |
| 2022 | Best Narrative | SAY WHAT YOU WILL | Nominated | ||
| 2024 | Best Editor | Big Hammer | Nominated | ||
| BBC Sound of... | 2011 | BBC Sound of 2011 | James Blake | 2nd place | [108] |
| Brit Awards | 2011 | Critic's Choice | Nominated | [109] | |
| 2012 | British Male Solo Artist | Nominated | [110] | ||
| 2014 | Nominated | [111] | |||
| Grammy Awards | 2014 | Best New Artist | Nominated | [112] | |
| 2017 | Album of the Year | Lemonade(as featured artist and producer) | Nominated | [113] | |
| 2019 | Best Rap Song | "King's Dead" | Nominated | [114] | |
| Best Rap Performance | Won | ||||
| 2020 | Best Alternative Music Album | Assume Form | Nominated | [115] | |
| 2022 | Best Dance/Electronic Recording | "Before" | Nominated | [116] | |
| 2024 | "Loading" | Nominated | [117] | ||
| Best Dance/Electronic Album | Playing Robots into Heaven | Nominated | |||
| Best Rap Song | "Scientists & Engineers"(as songwriter) | Won | |||
| Ivor Novello Awards | 2012 | Best Contemporary Song | "The Wilhelm Scream" | Nominated | |
| 2014 | "Retrograde" | Won | [118] | ||
| 2022 | "Coming Back"(featuringSZA) | Nominated | [119] | ||
| Latin Grammy Awards | 2022 | Album of the Year | Motomami(as songwriter and producer) | Won | [120] |
| Mercury Prize | 2011 | Best Album | James Blake | Nominated | [121] |
| 2013 | Overgrown | Won | [122] | ||
| MTV Video Music Awards | 2020 | Best Editing | "Can't Believe the Way We Flow" | Nominated | [123] |
| MTV Video Music Awards Japan | 2012 | Best New Artist | "Limit to Your Love" | Nominated | |
| Best Dance Video | Nominated | ||||
| mtvU Woodie Awards | 2014 | Best Collaboration Woodie | "Life Round Here" (featuringChance the Rapper) | Nominated | |
| Music Producers Guild Awards | 2014 | UK Album of the Year | Overgrown | Nominated | |
| Q Awards | 2011 | Breakthrough Artist | James Blake | Nominated | |
| UK Music Video Awards | 2011 | Best Alternative Video - UK | "Lindisfarne" | Nominated | [124] |
| 2012 | "A Case of You" | Nominated | [125] | ||
| Best Cinematography in a Video | Nominated | ||||
| Best Telecine in a Video | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Best Alternative Video - UK | "Overgrown" | Nominated | [126] | |
| Best Colour Grade In a Video | "Retrograde" | Nominated | |||
| 2019 | Best Artist | James Blake | Nominated | [127] | |
| Best Alternative Video - UK | "Can't Believe the Way We Flow" | Nominated | |||
| Best Editing in a Video | Nominated | ||||
| 2021 | Best Alternative Video - UK | "Say What You Will" | Won | [128] | |
| Best Performance in a Video | Nominated | ||||
| Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video - UK | "Feel Away"(withslowthai andMount Kimbie) | Nominated | |||
| 2023 | Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK | "Big Hammer" | Won | [129] | |
| Best Editing in a Video | Nominated | ||||
| 2024 | Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK | "Thrown Around" | Pending | [130] | |
| "Playing Robots in Heaven" | Pending | ||||
| Best Cinematography in a Video | Pending | ||||
| World Music Awards | 2014 | World's Best Male Artist | James Blake | Nominated | |
| World's Best Live Act | Nominated | ||||
| World's Best Entertainer | Nominated |
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
| Preceded by | Sound of... Runner-up 2011 | Succeeded by |
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| Other songs | |
| Related articles | |
