James Blake releases new record ‘Trying Times’ via Good Boy Records.

A GRAMMY-winning producer, songwriter, and musician, James Blake’s singular blend of soul, electronica, hip-hop, and alt-R&B has shaped the sound of modern music. Across six seminal studio albums, Blake’s catalogue has amassed over 2.2 billion streams: his 2019 album ‘Assume Form’,  featuring ROSALÍA and Travis Scott, garnered widespread acclaim, followed by his highest chart debut to date with 2021’s ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’. 

[Credit: Robbie Lawrence]

"A deep, introspective and disarmingly sincere album” - Mixmag

“The lyrics are among the best of Blake’s career” - Evening Standard 

“Melodies collapsing and rebuilding themselves in his digital laboratory” - The Independent

“His seventh studio album [is] a compendium of his best parts” - DIY

His transcendent vocals and visionary production have cemented him as one of contemporary music’s most influential figures, and a sought-after collaborator for Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, SZA, ROSALÍA, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott and more, contributing to era-defining albums like ‘Blonde’, ‘DAMN.’, ‘ASTROWORLD’, ‘Lemonade’, and ‘Motomami’. 

The album features recently released singles ‘Death Of Love’ and ‘I Had A Dream She Took My Hand’, showcasing the full range of Blake’s artistic voice and a rare emotional candor. Throughout ‘Trying Times’, Blake navigates the fragile space between closeness and solitude in an uncertain era, tracing the fault lines of contemporary life. As overwhelm seeps into both its themes and atmosphere, the record settles in a place between optimism and unease. 

Alongside the new record, Blake has also announced details of his upcoming European tour, set to begin in September, including a special stop at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. The dates follow the earlier announcement of his North American run, which features two sold-out shows at NYC’s Brooklyn Paramount, as well as a sold-out show at Toronto’s HISTORY. The full dates can be found below.

Most recently, Blake collaborated with revered UK rapper Dave on his critically acclaimed album ‘The Boy Who Played The Harp’, and crafted ‘Séance’ alongside Ludwig Göransson, a standout from the soundtrack from Ryan Coogler’s ‘Sinners’.