- 2026-01-23
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MUSIC
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James Blake Announces New Album “Trying Times”, Premieres New Song “Death of Love” on BBC Radio 1
British singer-songwriter James Blake has announced his upcoming seventh studio album “Trying Times” will be released on March 13, 2026 via Good Boy Records.
It is his first album in three years, following the 2023 album “Playing Robots into Heaven”.
The album comprises 13 tracks, featuring guest appearances from American singer-songwriter Monica Martin and British rapper Dave.
From the album, he premiered a new song “Death of Love” on BBC Radio 1's New Music Show with Sian Eleri.
The song samples Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen's “You Want it Darker”, which is the title track of his fourteenth studio album in 2016.
It was written by James Blake and Leonard Cohen. Produced by James Blake, Jameela Jamil, and Dom Maker.
The accompanying live performance video was directed by Harrison Adair, featuring the London Welsh Men's Choir.- James Blake told Sian Eleri about the song, “Just bursting with optimism, as usual. It's actually, initially it was a beat for Dave, actually. Initially I did write it. I made the beat at Dave's house. And then, while I thought nothing came of it, and then later, did turn out he had done a verse. And then the track is a whole convergence of different things.”
He continued, “It is actually a straight lift, straight sample of you want it darker by Leonard Cohen, and I just heard it from his last record. It was just, I was listening to that record a lot. And I'm a huge fan of Leonard Cohen, and thankfully, his estate okayed the sample.”
He said of the album, “It's exciting for me. It's been a while since I did something kind of vocal forward as well, for quite a long time, quite many years, actually.” -
Photo by Harrison Adair - source : BBC Radio 1
