James Blake has released a new music video for the single “Famous Last Words”. The music video dropped on 3rd November 2021 and has already garnered attention from fans and critics. The visually bold clip begins with a shot of a heart monitor machine and pans onto Blake in a hospital bed. The video features Blake walking around a seemingly destroyed city whilst engaging in heated conversations. The end of the video shows Blake running into the sea still in the initial shot’s hospital gown.
The single was originally released on 13th September 2021 and was the third track to be released from Blake’s recent album, Friends That Break Your Heart. The artist’s fifth studio album was released on 8th October 2021 via Republic Records and Polydor Records. The album was originally meant for release in September but due to complications in production caused by COVID-19, the release date was postponed. Blake’s newest album marks his first full release in three years and follows his 2019 album Assume Form.
The track and music video is a wonderful snapshot of Blake’s tremendous talent. The dark electronic beats work alongside the track’s deep lyrical content to pull the listener into a bittersweet sonic dream. The single has cultivated an incredible 6 million streams and has received rave reviews from critics. As stated by the press release, NME has called the single “Pulsating” and Stereogum pronounced, “‘Famous Last Words,’ features pulsing synths that gradually swell into grand orchestral majesty.”
The single’s album, Friends That Break Your Heart, has also sired critical acclaim. The Wall Street Journal described the album as, “An excellent showcase of Mr. Blake’s gifts, which on the evidence here remain intact a dozen years into his winding career.” The Independent also spoke highly of Blake’s release, “Few artists can make such heartbreak sound so pretty, while still reflecting on all its weirdness and complexity.”
On the album’s release date the singer took to Instagram to announce its availability.
The 33-year-old multi-talented artist first rose to success due to his collaborations with highly regarded artists. In 2016, Blake worked with megastar Beyonce on the track “Forward”. Blake co-wrote and produced the song with the singer and was featured on Beyonce’s sixth album, Lemonade. Blake later worked with Jay-Z in 2017 on the track “ManyFacedGod”, the song featured on Jay-Z’s album 4:44. Blake has also gained success through his solo work and through 1-800 Dinosaur, the company is responsible for club nights and incorporates a record label and radio show.
Blake has received many accolades throughout his career and is regarded as one of the most talented exports of the digital age. The artist received his first Grammy for Best Rap Performance for his work on the triple-platinum release Black Panther: The Album, Blake has also received multiple Grammy nominations. In 2014 the singer was nominated for Best New Artist, in 2017 the artist was nominated for Lemonade under the category Album of the year. Blake received his third nomination in 2020 for his fourth studio album Assume Form, the release was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album. In 2011, Blake received his first Mercury Music Prize nomination for his debut album, James Blake. The classically trained musician would go on to win the award in 2013 for his second studio album Overgrown.
Earlier this autumn, Blake announced the details for his eleven date UK and European tour. The UK leg will start in April 2022 with a performance in Glasgow and will continue into Europe with a closing show in London on 17th May 2022.
James Blake UK tour
30/04/2022 – O2 Academy – Glasgow
01/05 – O2 Apollo – Manchester
15/05 – O2 Academy – Sheffield
17/05 – Alexandra Palace – London
Click here to buy tickets.
Click here to buy/download/stream Friends That Break Your Heart.
