James Blake (musician)

English singer and record producer (born 1988)

James Blake

Blake performing in 2021

Background information
Birth name| James Blake Litherland
Also known as| Harmonimix
Born|  (1988-09-26) 26 September 1988 (age 35)
Enfield, London, England
Genres|

* Electronic
* R&B
* UK bass
* soul
* post-dubstep
* ambient

Occupation(s)|

* Singer
* songwriter
* record producer

Instruments|

* Vocals
* keyboards

Discography| Discography (songs)
Years active| 2009–present
Labels|

* 1-800 Dinosaur
* R&S
* A&M
* Polydor
* Universal Republic
* Hessle

Partner| Jameela Jamil (2015–present)
Father| James Litherland
Website| jamesblakemusic.com

Musical artist

James Blake Litherland (born 26 September 1988)[1] is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained recognition following the release of three extended plays—The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke—in 2010. He signed with A&M Records to release his self-titled debut album (2011) the following year, which was met with critical praise and peaked within the top ten of the UK Albums Chart.[2]

Blake departed the label in favour of Republic Records, through 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 US Billboard 200.[3] His third album, The Colour in Anything (2016) was followed by his 2018 single "King's Dead" (with Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar and Future), which peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its success foresaw the release of his fourth album, Assume Form (2019), which yielded his highest entry on both the UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200\. His fifth and sixth albums, Friends That Break Your Heart (2021) and Playing Robots Into Heaven (2023) followed thereafter.

Along with recording, Blake has been involved in songwriting and production work for other artists. Often doing so with Oneohtrix Point Never, Dominic Maker, Justin Vernon or his partner Jameela Jamil, Blake has been credited on releases for Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Rosalía, Strick, JID, Travis Scott, Normani, and Lil Yachty.[2] He has won a Mercury Prize from two nominations, two Grammy Awards from nine nominations—which include Best New Artist—a Latin Grammy Award, and three Brit Award nominations.[4]

## Early life

[edit]

Blake is the only child of musician James 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 at The Latymer School, Edmonton.[7] He went on to Goldsmiths, 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 as Distance, Skream and Benga.

## Career

[edit]

### 2009–2010: Early releases

[edit]

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 of BBC Radio 1 DJ Gilles 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 exclusive Mount Kimbie track.[9] As a second-year composition assignment for his studies at Goldsmiths, he submitted the Klavierwerke EP which was awarded high marks.[10]

Blake performing at Glastonbury Festival June 2011

A third EP, entitled CMYK, was released through R&S Records during 2010.[11] The title track, "CMYK" was selected by BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw as his Record of the Week[12] and also received airplay from other DJs. On 29 September 2010, Zane Lowe selected Blake's cover version of "Limit to Your Love" as his "Hottest Record in the World". The song was written and originally recorded by Feist 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 the UK Singles Chart at number 47.[14]

### 2011: Self-titled album

[edit]

Main article: James Blake (album)

Blake was nominated for the BBC's Sound of 2011, an annual poll that highlights the forthcoming year's likely successful musicians.[15] He placed second ahead of fellow shortlisted acts The Vaccines, Jamie Woon and Clare Maguire. On 15 December 2010, Blake was runner-up behind singer-songwriter Jessie J at the BRIT 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 on Frontier Psychiatrist's top 40 songs of the year,[17] the Bells Sketch/CMYK/Klavierwerke EPs ranking 8th on Pitchfork 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-track James 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 publication The Fader, in its 72nd issue.[22] Blake debuted a collaboration with Bon Iver called "Fall Creek Boys Choir" in August 2011 and during the next month, the BBC 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 the Enough Thunder and Love 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 on CMYK.

### 2012–2013: Overgrown

[edit]

Main article: Overgrown

Blake performing in 2013

Early in 2012, Blake spent time with American rapper Kanye West (who named Blake as his favourite artist)[24] and singer Justin Vernon. Later that year, Blake announced a new collaborative non-single release under the moniker Harmonimix with British rapper Trim; 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 collective 1-800 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 producer Brian Eno and rapper RZA of Wu-Tang Clan.[29] The release received critical acclaim and was awarded the 2013 Mercury Prize. Blake revealed to Hot Press that falling in love had influenced the warm nu-soul sound on the album, as opposed to the experimentalism found on his self-titled effort.[30] A remix featuring Chance the Rapper, of a track from Overgrown, "Life Round Here", was released on 11 October alongside a music video directed by Nabil Elderkin.[31][32]

### 2014–2017: The Colour in Anything

[edit]

Main article: The Colour in Anything

In an interview with Spotify, Blake revealed that a day prior to the release of Drake'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 titled Radio Silence and would be released in the first half of 2015.[34][35] He later confirmed that the album would feature Bon Iver and Kanye West, as well as feature guitar work from Connan Mockasin.[36] Blake received a Grammy Award nomination in 2014 for Best 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 with BBC 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 producer Rick Rubin.[40]

Blake produced and was featured on the song "Forward" from Beyoncé's 2016 album Lemonade. 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 Sir Quentin Blake (best known for his work with writer Roald Dahl) that hinted at the new album title The 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 with Jay-Z on his album 4:44, 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 on Kendrick 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" featuring Vince Staples which had already been leaked on the internet earlier.[47] In December 2017, Blake released a cover of the song "Vincent" by Don McLean alongside a performance video shot in the studio.[48]

### 2018–2020: Assume Form

[edit]

Main article: Assume Form

On 11 January 2018, Blake co-wrote and performed alongside Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Future on the single "King's Dead" from Rock's album Redemption and the soundtrack Black 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 (alongside Anderson .Paak's "Bubblin") would receive the Grammy Award For Best Rap Performance at the 2019 ceremony.[51][52] Blake also appeared on another track from the Black Panther soundtrack album, "Bloody Waters", which Blake co-wrote alongside Lamar, Mark Spears, Robin Braun and Ab-Soul.[49]

Blake performing at Hopscotch Music Festival 2019

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 a lyric video and was released the next month.[54][55] Despite receiving acclaim from music critics, a less positive review by Kevin Lozano of Pitchfork 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 musician Oneohtrix Point Never, titled Age Of, which was released in June 2018.[58] He also co-wrote and was featured on the track "Stop Trying to Be God" from Travis 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 with André 3000 during a show in Brooklyn, 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 and Metro Boomin.[64][65][66] Soon after, LED billboards appeared in London and New York promoting the album.[67] The album's release date was later confirmed to be on 18 January 2019 due to advertising in the London 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 of Assume 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 the Before EP in October.[79]

### 2021–2023: Friends That Break Your Heart and Playing Robots Into Heaven

[edit]

Blake released his fifth album, Friends That Break Your Heart, on 8 October 2021, following a delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A mostly stylistically traditional release, the record was followed-up by an ambient album titled Wind Down on 18 March 2022, created with German artificial intelligence media company Endel to help listeners fall asleep.[80] The following year saw Blake collaborate with several hip hop artists, such as Kanye West,[81] Flatbush Zombies,[82] JID[83] and Don Toliver.[84] Blake released his sixth album, Playing Robots Into Heaven, on 8 September 2023.[85] The album features electronic, dance, and experimental music and was seen by critics as a return to 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]

### 2024–present: CMYK Group

[edit]

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 and Bad Cameo, a collaborative album with Lil Yachty.[90][91]

## Personal life

[edit]

Blake was previously in a relationship with American musician Theresa Wayman and has been in a relationship with British actress Jameela Jamil since 2015[update].[92][93]

## Musical style

[edit]

Blake is a baritone. Blake's early releases are experimental electronic in style,[94] influenced by UK bass music such as 2-step garage and the dubstep of Burial and Digital Mystikz, as well as 1990s trip hop and American R&B artists such as Stevie Wonder, Sly Stone, and D'Angelo.[95][96][97] On releases such as The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke, Blake's own voice is obscured and processed, also incorporating vocal samples from '90s R&B, prominent sub-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 2011 debut album, Blake's vocals and piano had become more prominent while traditional song structures became increasingly apparent, reflecting the influence of gospel, soul and ambient music, while still utilizing experimental production styles.[98][102] His second album Overgrown (2013) continued this trend, integrating an electronic approach with balladry and Blake's soul-inflected vocals, and featuring contributions from hip hop artist RZA and electronic musician Brian Eno.[94][95]

Describing his stylistic development in 2013, music critic and theorist Mark 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] Author Madison Moore noted the prominent use of minimalism, sparseness, and silence in Blake's work, a quality also noted by Eno in 2013: "he takes a lot of stuff out and ends up with very skeletal pieces."[103] In 2016 Blake revealed that a primary inspiration for his live performances was the Jimi Hendrix live album Band of Gypsys (1970), stating that "I want to be that. It’s so free."[104]

## Discography

[edit]

Main articles: James Blake discography and List of songs written and produced by James Blake

Solo studio albums

* James Blake (2011)
* Overgrown (2013)
* The Colour in Anything (2016)
* Assume Form (2019)
* Friends That Break Your Heart (2021)
* Playing Robots into Heaven (2023)

Collaborative studio album

* Bad Cameo (with Lil Yachty) (2024)

## Awards and nominations

[edit]

On 19 July 2011, Blake was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize 2011 for his self-titled debut album;[3] the award was won by PJ Harvey. However, in 2013, he was nominated again for Overgrown, 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."[105][106] He was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 2014 Grammy Awards, he won one out of five Grammy Awards nominations.

Year  | Award  | Category  | Nominated work  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

2010  | Worldwide Winners Awards  | Single of the Year  | "CMYK"  | Won  |
2011  | BBC Sound of 2011 | Sound of 2011  | James Blake  | 2nd place  | [107]
Brit Awards | Critic's Choice | Nominated  | [108]
Q Awards | Breakthrough Artist  | Nominated  |
Mercury Prize | Mercury Prize  | James Blake | Nominated  | [109]
UK Music Video Awards | Best Alternative Video - UK  | "Lindisfarne"  | Nominated  | [110]
2012  | Brit Awards | British Male Solo Artist | James Blake  | Nominated  | [111]
Ivor Novello Awards | Best Contemporary Song  | "The Wilhelm Scream"  | Nominated  |
UK Music Video Awards | Best Alternative Video - UK  | "A Case of You"  | Nominated  | [112]
Best Cinematography in a Video  | Nominated
Best Telecine in a Video  | Nominated
MTV Video Music Awards Japan | Best New Artist  | "Limit to Your Love"  | Nominated  |
Best Dance Video  | Nominated
2013  | Mercury Prize | Mercury Prize  | Overgrown | Won  | [113]
UK Music Video Awards | Best Alternative Video - UK  | "Overgrown"  | Nominated  | [114]
Best Colour Grade In a Video  | "Retrograde"  | Nominated
2014  | Grammy Awards | Best New Artist | James Blake  | Nominated  | [115]
Brit Awards | British Male Solo Artist | Nominated  | [116]
World Music Awards | World's Best Male Artist  | Nominated  |
World's Best Live Act  | Nominated
World's Best Entertainer  | Nominated
mtvU Woodie Awards | Best Collaboration Woodie  | "Life Round Here"  (featuring Chance the Rapper) | Nominated  |
Music Producers Guild Awards | UK Album of the Year  | Overgrown | Nominated  |
Ivor Novello Awards | Best Contemporary Song  | "Retrograde"  | Won  | [117]
2017  | Grammy Awards | Album of the Year | Lemonade (as featured artist and producer) | Nominated  | [118]
2018  | Berlin Music Video Awards  | Best Experimental  | "If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead"  | Nominated  |
2019  | Grammy Awards | Best Rap Song | "King's Dead"  | Nominated  | [119]
Best Rap Performance | Won
UK Music Video Awards | Best Artist  | James Blake  | Nominated  | [120]
Best Alternative Video - UK  | "Can't Believe the Way We Flow"  | Nominated
Best Editing in a Video  | Nominated
2020  | MTV Video Music Awards | Best Editing | Nominated  | [121]
Grammy Awards | Best Alternative Music Album | Assume Form | Nominated  | [122]
2021  | UK Music Video Awards | Best Alternative Video - UK  | "Say What You Will"  | Won  | [123]
Best Performance in a Video  | Nominated
Best Hip Hop/Grime/Rap Video - UK  | "Feel Away" (with slowthai and Mount Kimbie) | Nominated
2022  | Grammy Awards | Best Dance/Electronic Recording | "Before"  | Nominated  | [124]
Ivor Novello Awards | Best Contemporary Song  | "Coming Back" (featuring SZA) | Nominated  | [125]
Latin Grammy Awards | Album of the Year | Motomami (as songwriter and producer) | Won  |
2023  | UK Music Video Awards | Best Dance/Electronic Video – UK  | "Big Hammer"  | Won  | [126]
Best Editing in a Video  | Nominated
2024  | Grammy Awards | Best Dance/Electronic Recording | "Loading"  | Nominated  | [127]
Best Dance/Electronic Album | Playing Robots into Heaven | Nominated
Best Rap Song | "Scientists & Engineers" (as songwriter) | Won

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "James Blake on his 23rd Birthday, Limit To Your Love". 26 September 2011. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2013 - via YouTube.
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3. ^ a b "Ministry of Sound Biography – The IMO Records Blog". Imorecords.co.uk. 3 November 2011. Archived from the original on 1 August 2012. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
4. ^ Horner, Al (5 February 2019). "James Blake: how the producer became hip-hop's favourite Brit". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
5. ^ "James Blake Re-Conquers The BBC, Covers His Dad and Joni Mitchell". The Fader. 11 February 2011. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
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7. ^ Bellotti, Alex. "Highly-strung sounds of success for Clean Bandit". Hampstead Highgate Express. Archived from the original on 29 December 2015. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
8. ^ Edwards, Rhiannon (5 September 2013). "Interview: My university experience « The Telegraph". Thetelegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 28 September 2013.
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28. ^ "The Top 25 Albums of the Year 2013". 7 January 2016.
29. ^ Fitzmaurice, Larry; Phillips, Amy (25 February 2013). "Brian Eno, RZA Guest on James Blake Album". Pitchfork.
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32. ^ Life Round Here (feat. Chance The Rapper) - Single by James Blake, January 2013, retrieved 4 January 2019
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35. ^ "James Blake says new album out in about five months". Pitchfork. 23 November 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
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38. ^ "James Blake Shares 'Modern Soul'". Pitchfork. 11 February 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2016.
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40. ^ Lobenfield, Claire (5 May 2016). "James Blake's The Colour in Anything will be released tonight". Fact. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
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44. ^ 4:44 (Digital booklet). Jay-Z. Roc Nation. 2017. B0027184-02. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 December 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2019.`{{cite AV media notes}}`: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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49. ^ a b "Various Artists – Black Panther: The Album [Booklet]". Genius. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
50. ^ Blais-Billie, Braudie (8 June 2018). "Jay Rock's New Album Redemption Features Kendrick, J. Cole, SZA, More". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
51. ^ "Jay Rock Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
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55. ^ "Don't Miss It – Single by James Blake". iTunes. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
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58. ^ Geffen, Sasha (2 June 2018). "Oneohtrix Point Never: Age Of". Pitchfork.com. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
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61. ^ Rossignol, Derrick (13 December 2018). "Tickets For James Blake's Tour Come With A Copy Of His Next Album". Uproxx. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
62. ^ Saponara, Michael (11 December 2018). "James Blake Teases New Andre 3000 Collab During DJ Set in Brooklyn: Listen". Billboard. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
63. ^ Matheson, Anna (13 May 2018). "James Blake and Andre 3000 collaborate on new track 'Look Ma No Hands'". NME. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
64. ^ Findlay, Mitch (3 January 2019). "James Blake Tracklist Leaks, Revealing Andre 3000 & Travis Scott Features". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
65. ^ "James Blake's new album reportedly features Andre 3000 and Rosalía". Fact. 3 January 2019. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
66. ^ Ryce, Andrew (3 January 2019). "New James Blake album, Assume Form, surfaces on Amazon France". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
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68. ^ Renshaw, David (10 January 2019). "James Blake to release new album next week". The Fader. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
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## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to James Blake.

* Official website

Preceded by

Marina and the Diamonds

|  Sound of... Runner-up
2011  | Succeeded by

Frank Ocean

|
|

* v
* t
* e

James Blake

* Discography
* Songs written and produced

Studio albums|

* James Blake (2011)
* Overgrown (2013)
* The Colour in Anything (2016)
* Assume Form (2019)
* Friends That Break Your Heart (2021)
* Playing Robots into Heaven (2023)
* Bad Cameo (2024)

EPs|

* The Bells Sketch (2010)
* CMYK (2010)
* Klavierwerke (2010)
* Enough Thunder (2011)
* Love What Happened Here (2011)
* 200 Press (2014)
* Before (2020)
* CMYK 002 (2024)

Singles|

* "Limit to Your Love"
* "The Wilhelm Scream"
* "Lindisfarne / Unluck"
* "Fall Creek Boys Choir"
* "A Case of You"
* "Retrograde"
* "Modern Soul"
* "King's Dead"
* "If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead"
* "Don't Miss It"
* "Mile High"
* "Barefoot in the Park"
* "You're Too Precious"
* "Say What You Will"

Other songs|

* "Stop Trying to Be God"
* "Can't Believe the Way We Flow"
* "I'll Come Too"
* "Hummingbird"

Related articles|

* Blake Works I
* Re:SET Concert Series

Category

Awards for James Blake

* v
* t
* e

Consequence Artist / Band of the Year

Artist|

2010
Kanye West
2011
James Blake
2012
Frank Ocean
2013
Kanye West
2014
Run the Jewels
2015
Kendrick Lamar
2016
Chance the Rapper
2017
Lorde
2018
Janelle Monáe
2019
Billie Eilish
2020
Phoebe Bridgers
2021
Lil Nas X
2022
Harry Styles

Band|

2010
The Roots
2011
Foo Fighters
2012
Death Grips
2013
Arcade Fire
2014
The War on Drugs
2015
Tame Impala
2016
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
2017
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard
2018
Pearl Jam
2019
Tool
2020
BTS
2021
Chvrches
2022
Muna

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance

1980s|

* "Parents Just Don't Understand" – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince (1988)
* "Bust a Move" – Young MC (1989)

2010s|

* "Otis" – Jay-Z & Kanye West (2011)
* "Niggas in Paris" – Jay-Z & Kanye West (2012)
* "Thrift Shop" – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz (2013)
* "I" – Kendrick Lamar (2014)
* "Alright" – Kendrick Lamar (2015)
* "No Problem" – Chance the Rapper featuring Lil Wayne & 2 Chainz (2016)
* "Humble" – Kendrick Lamar (2017)
* "Bubblin" – Anderson .Paak / "King's Dead" – Kendrick Lamar, Jay Rock, Future & James Blake (2018)
* "Racks in the Middle" – Nipsey Hussle featuring Roddy Ricch & Hit-Boy (2019)

2020s|

* "Savage" – Megan Thee Stallion featuring Beyoncé (2020)
* "Family Ties" – Baby Keem featuring Kendrick Lamar (2021)
* "The Heart Part 5" – Kendrick Lamar (2022)
* "Scientists & Engineers" – Killer Mike featuring André 3000, Future & Eryn Allen Kane (2023)

Between 1990–2010, the category was split into two categories Best Rap Solo Performance and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group.

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Rap Song

2000s|

* "Lose Yourself" – Jeff Bass, Eminem & Luis Resto (songwriters) (2003)
* "Jesus Walks" – Miri Ben-Ari, Che Smith & Kanye West (songwriters) (2004)
* "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" – Devon Harris & Kanye West (songwriters) (2005)
* "Money Maker" – Ludacris and Pharrell Williams (songwriters) (2006)
* "Good Life – Aldrin Davis, Faheem Najm & Kanye West (songwriters) (2007)
* "Lollipop" – Dwayne Carter, Stephen Garrett, Darius Harrison, Jim Jonsin & Rex Zamor (songwriters) (2008)
* "Run This Town" – Shawn Carter, Robyn Fenty, Makeba Riddick, Kanye West & Ernest Wilson (songwriters) (2009)

2010s|

* "Empire State of Mind" – Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Alicia Keys, Jane't "Jnay" Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh (songwriters) (2010)
* "All of the Lights" – Jeff Bhasker, Stacy Ferguson, Malik Jones, Warren Trotter & Kanye West (songwriters) (2011)
* "Niggas in Paris" – Shawn Carter, Mike Dean, Chauncey Hollis & Kanye West (songwriters) (2012)
* "Thrift Shop" – Ben Haggerty & Ryan Lewis (songwriters) (2013)
* "i" – Kendrick Duckworth, Columbus Smith & Ronald Isley (songwriters) (2014)
* "Alright" – Kendrick Duckworth, Kawan Prather, Mark Spears & Pharrell Williams (songwriters) (2015)
* "Hotline Bling" – Aubrey Graham & Paul Jefferies (songwriters) (2016)
* "Humble" – Kendrick Duckworth, Asheton Hogan & Michael Williams II (songwriters) (2017)
* "God's Plan" – Aubrey Graham, Ronald LaTour, Daveon Jackson, Brock Korsan, Matthew Samuels & Noah Shebib (songwriters) (2018)
* "A Lot" – Jermaine Cole, Dacoury Natche, 21 Savage & Anthony White (songwriters) (2019)

2020s|

* "Savage" – Beyoncé, Shawn Carter, Brittany Hazzard, Derrick Milano, Terius Nash, Megan Pete, Bobby Sessions Jr., Jordan Kyle Lanier Thorpe & Anthony White (songwriters) (2020)
* "Jail" – Dwayne Abernathy, Jr., Shawn Carter, Raul Cubina, Michael Dean, Charles M. Njapa, Sean Solymar, Kanye West & Mark Williams (songwriters) (2021)
* "The Heart Part 5" – Jake Kosich, Johnny Kosich, Kendrick Duckworth & Matt Schaeffer (songwriters) (2022)
* "Scientists & Engineers" – Andre Benjamin, Paul Beauregard, James Blake, Michael Render, Tim Moore & Dion Wilson (songwriters) (2023)

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* 2
* VIAF
* WorldCat

National|

* France
* BnF data
* Germany
* Italy
* United States
* Latvia
* Czech Republic
* Australia
* Poland

Artists|

* Grammy Awards
* MusicBrainz

People|

* Deutsche Biographie

Other|

* IdRef

*[Ref.]: Reference(s)
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*[e]: Edit this template