James Blake drops new single and video ‘Say What You Will’, announces fifth album

Mercury Prize and Grammy Award-winning musician James Blake announces his fifth album ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’ and drops a brand new single with an accompanying music video.

There are few musicians that rival the versatility and innovation of James Blake, who started his career as an electronic artist making waves in the post-dubstep scene, before gradually adding more of his own vocal parts to his music and delving into his trademark piano-based singer/songwriter style.

Receiving commercial success, particularly with 2013 single ‘Retrograde’, he counts Bon Iver, Beyoncé, Travis Scott, Mount Kimbie and slowthai among his collaborators. ‘Friends That Break Your Heart’ is the first album we’ve seen from the multi-instrumentalist in two years and will feature the likes of JID & SwaVay, Monica Martin and SZA.

The first track from the album ‘Say What You Will’ was premiered on BBC Radio 1, with Blake joining Annie Mac to co-host the ‘Hottest Record in the World’ show. The track builds harmonic suspense before breaking down into a singular falsetto section. Of the single, James says: “The song is about finding peace with who you are and where you’re at regardless of how well other people seem to be doing. Comparison really is the thief of joy.”

The music video for ‘Say What You Will’ features brother of Billie Eilish, FINNEAS, who is pictured in one scene cradling an armful of Grammy awards while Blake stands beside him feeling self-conscious.

The album is set to release on September 10.

Watch the video for ‘Say What You Will’ below or stream the track here.

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