English singer and songwriter James Blake drops his new album Trying Times tomorrow.
The project tackles living in a world of constant
stimulation, distraction, and overwhelm, as it explores the pressures of modern
life.
It also marks the artist’s first independently released
full-length record since he started to take complete control of his career in
2024, including tours, distribution and management, after learning of the ‘dark
side of the music industry’.
“I was an artist who very much buried my head in the sand in
terms of business,” James said in an interview.
“And when I really looked into the machinations of what was
going on behind each part of the industry, getting all the statements, I saw
that there are unethical parts of the model that are responsible for a massive
transfer of wealth away from the artist,” he added.
“It’s not that there’s no money there, it’s just being
diverted to the wrong places, and the system is set up to not give you that
information.”
Known for his emotive, soulful light head voice and use of
falsetto, James first gained recognition following the release of his three
extended plays The Bells Sketch, CMYK and Klavierwerke in 2010.
He has won several awards including two Grammys in 2019 and
2024.
Additionally, he has done songwriting and production work
for other artists, including Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar and Rosalía, among others.
