{"id":2246911,"date":"2026-01-23T11:08:47","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:08:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2246911"},"modified":"2026-01-23T11:08:47","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T11:08:47","slug":"james-blake-announces-new-album-trying-times-and-shares-striking-single-death-of-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/james-blake-announces-new-album-trying-times-and-shares-striking-single-death-of-love\/","title":{"rendered":"James Blake announces new album &#8216;Trying Times&#8217; and shares striking single &#8216;Death of Love&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/james-blake\">James Blake<\/a> has announced a new album, \u2018Trying Times\u2019, and released the first single, \u2018Death of Love\u2019. Listen below.<\/p>\n<p>The new album marks the first from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and electronic producer since 2023\u2019s \u2018<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/album\/james-blake-playing-robots-into-heaven-album-review-3495243\">Playing Robots\u00a0Into\u00a0Heaven<\/a>\u2019, although he did put out\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/lil-yachty-and-james-blake-prepare-collaborative-album-bad-cameo-this-is-real-3587300\">the collaborative record \u2018Bad Cameo\u2019 with Lil Yachty in 2024<\/a>, as well as his \u2018<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/james-blake-releases-surprise-ep-cmyk-002-let-her-know-3765970\">CMYK 002<\/a>\u2019 EP in the same year.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Trying Times\u2019 is Blake\u2019s first independent studio album, which will arrive two years after he parted ways with Republic Records. It\u2019s due for release on March 13 via Good Boy Records, and is available to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/jamesblake.lnk.to\/tryingtimes\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">pre-order\/pre-save here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The first taste of the record comes in the form of the striking lead single \u2018Death of Love\u2019, which features the London Welsh Male Voice Choir. Blake has also shared a live music video for the track, which places the singers in a stark, contrasting office backdrop.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"James Blake - Death of Love (Live)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/neglkknTYB4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>News of the LP comes after <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/james-blake-teases-new-music-i-think-we-might-be-sleeping-3922373\">Blake began teasing new music earlier this month<\/a>, posting a\u00a0mysterious video on his Instagram page, under the title, \u201cI think we might be sleeping\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>It came with a 30-second clip of Blake sitting in a recording studio listening to an apparently new song, in which soulful, chopped vocals sing that phrase alongside a gentle beat, all underpinned by eerie, foreboding choral voices.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Trying Times\u2019 features contributions from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/dave\">Dave<\/a> and Los Angeles-based vocalist Monica Martin. Per a press release, Blake says the album is a commentary on the relentlessness of modern life. Check out the tracklist and album cover below.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>The \u2018Trying Times\u2019 tracklist is:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>1 \u2018Walk Out Music\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>2 \u2018Death of Love\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>3 \u2018I Had a Dream She Took My Hand\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>4 \u2018Trying Times\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>5 \u2018Make Something Up\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>6 \u2018Didn\u2019t Come to Argue\u2019 [ft. Monica Martin]<\/strong><br \/><strong>7 \u2018Doesn\u2019t Just Happen\u2019 [ft. Dave]<\/strong><br \/><strong>8 \u2018Obsession\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>9 \u2018Rest of Your Life\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>10 \u2018Through the High Wire\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>11 \u2018Feel It Again\u2019<\/strong><br \/><strong>12 \u2018Just a Little Higher\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned=\"\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DT0rXWfAmIm\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Last year, Blake\u00a0surprised audiences\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/watch-timothee-chalamet-play-three-bob-dylan-songs-while-hosting-snl-3832012\">when he played piano on\u00a0<i>Saturday Night Live<\/i>\u00a0to accompany Timothee Chalamet\u2019s performance of Bob Dylan\u2019s \u2018Three Angels\u2019<\/a>, in promotion of\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/films\/a-complete-unknown\"><i>A Complete Unknown<\/i><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>He went on to play at\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/james-blake-and-mala-lead-new-names-added-to-field-day-2025-line-up-3816558\">London\u2019s Field Day<\/a>\u00a0last summer, as well as\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/together-for-palestine-damon-albarn-bastille-and-james-blake-lead-first-line-up-3883568\">Brian Eno\u2019s \u2018Together For Palestine\u2019 show at Wembley in September<\/a>, and\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/james-blake-jessie-ware-and-more-announced-for-choose-loves-10th-anniversary-fundraiser-at-royal-albert-hall-3896323\">the Choose Love 10th\u00a0anniversary show in November<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/news\/music\/james-blake-coldplay-bashing-has-got-to-stop-its-not-cool-anymore-3844208\">Blake also spoke out in\u00a0defence\u00a0of Coldplay last year<\/a>, saying:\u00a0\u201cColdplay bashing\u00a0has got\u00a0to stop.\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not cool anymore!\u00a0It\u2019s\u00a0not cool anymore to just be like \u2018Coldplay\u2019s not cool.\u2019 Just fuck off,\u201d he said. \u201cThere are so many amazing Coldplay songs. And\u00a0<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/artists\/chris-martin\">Chris Martin<\/a>\u00a0is clearly a melodic genius.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/album\/james-blake-playing-robots-into-heaven-album-review-3495243\"><i>NME\u00a0<\/i>awarded \u2018Playing Robots Into Heaven\u2019 four stars in 2023<\/a>, writing: \u201cThe album\u2019s closing third, contrastingly, hones in on Blake\u2019s raw and reflective side. Atop \u2018Fire The Editor\u2019s atmospheric soundscape and twinkling keys, he demonstrates real emotional growth, analysing how he\u2019s overcome a fear of failure:\u00a0<i>\u201cIf I see him again, best believe me, we\u2019ll be having words.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0Closer \u2018If You Can Hear Me (Ad Astra)\u2019,\u00a0built on a melancholic piano line, is one of Blake\u2019s most affecting songs to date. As it moves into a cinematic,\u00a0<i>Interstellar<\/i>-style arrangement, the album ends as per its title, as ominous waves of sound move skywards.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)}(window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n  fbq('consent', 'revoke');\n  fbq('init', '370979561341328');\n  fbq('track', 'PageView');\n<\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.nme.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>James Blake has announced a new album, \u2018Trying Times\u2019, and released the first single, \u2018Death of Love\u2019. Listen below. The new album marks the first from the Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and electronic producer since 2023\u2019s \u2018Playing Robots\u00a0Into\u00a0Heaven\u2019, although he did put out\u00a0the collaborative record \u2018Bad Cameo\u2019 with Lil Yachty in 2024, as well as his \u2018CMYK [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2246912,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[21935],"class_list":["post-2246911","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-indie"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/James-Blake-announces-new-album-Trying-Times-and-shares-striking.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246911","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2246911"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246911\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2246913,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2246911\/revisions\/2246913"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2246912"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2246911"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2246911"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2246911"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}