James Blake

James Blake Litherland, born 26 September 1988 in Enfield, is an English singer-songwriter and record producer whose recordings bring electronic production into contact with soulful vocals and a light falsetto. He first drew notice in 2010 with the EPs The Bells Sketch, CMYK, and Klavierwerke, releases that introduced his early work in dubstep and post-dubstep.

Blake signed with A&M Records for his self-titled debut album, James Blake, released in 2011. The album received critical praise and reached the UK Albums Chart top ten. He then moved to A&M's sister label Republic Records for Overgrown in 2013, which also entered the UK top ten and reached the US Billboard 200. Later studio albums include The Colour in Anything (2016), Assume Form (2019), Friends That Break Your Heart (2021), Playing Robots Into Heaven (2023), and Trying Times (2026). Assume Form remains his highest-charting album in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

In 2018, Blake joined Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, and Future on “King’s Dead.” The single reached number 50 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. He also released the collaborative album Bad Cameo with American rapper Lil Yachty in 2024. Alongside his own records, Blake has written and produced for artists including Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, Rosalía, Travis Scott, Normani, Oneohtrix Point Never, and Justin Vernon, often working jointly with his partner Jameela Jamil.

Blake has also used the name Harmonimix for remix work. His career has brought a Mercury Prize from two nominations, two Grammy Awards from nine nominations, a Latin Grammy Award, and three Brit Award nominations.