"I think when you're learning an instrument, you are restricted because much of it is the noise of individual theory and your ability to play the instrument."
James Blake Litherland (born 26 September 1988) 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. He then departed the label in favour of Republic Records, through which he released his seco...
James Blake Litherland (born 26 September 1988) 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. He then 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. 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 marked his first entry–at 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, JID, and Travis Scott. 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.
