theDonandOnly

2y

the structure isn't traditional pop but I just feel like pop music influenced certain things in his melodies, approach, singing and production. He never made music that was just for musos like us. He was also set up to have more mainstream appeal than someone like Skream. Who's debut is still incredible to me, but I don't think was ever seen as an artist who could fully crossover.

Even on the first album James was never some niche artist. He was always marketed to the mainstream same way a band like the XX were in the UK around that time.

Even without thinking about the expectations he or the people around him had for his career, I just think you can hear it in the music. Something doesn't have to go verse chorus verse chorus bridge chorus, to be influenced by pop music in some way. Even the R&B/soul/gospel influence you're talking about can come out in a pop way, like that influence is in most pop music. His hip hop influences made his music more poppy too. Maybe I'm not explaining what I mean by pop though, as really it's a bit of an odd genre to describe when even the classic pop artists are usually a mix of other sub genres

it's interesting you mention Thom Yorke too. I honestly prefer James to Radiohead but Radiohead are superstars in the UK Thom's a great example of how you can approach these left field sounds with some pop influence. Burial in the 2000s got so much crossover (in the UK at least) doing that too. In a way that some electronic music I like just never will. James always had sweet melodies or riffs that could bring in casual listeners as well as musos. And I think he always saw himself more in the Radiohead lane than the niche cult artist lane. He always made an effort to have songs on his albums from the start that could be some form of radio single, an artist who didn't care about pop music at all would never do that.

fiveprestos

2y

Youre moving the goalposts when you say that pop is, as you alluded to, an odd culmination of all these genres and it doesn't have to be this one thing but then you say that James has always had a radio hit, especially considering that James has never and probably will never have a billboard/radio hit.

Instead of saying James Blake never saw himself in a niche lane or James always wanted to be a pop star, lets settle on James Blake always wanted to a capital-A Artist, and having your voice be at the forefront of your music since your first lp will, by nature, always lend itself to a more contemporary framing and priming in the vein of the xx and frank ocean etc. Just because his dream wasn't to become digital mystickz doesn't mean that his dream was to become sam smith, so I think its a false conclusion to act like artists won't do things that are financially and socially beneficial for their career.

And anyways, where's the radio single on TCIA? What distinguishes songs like limit and retrograde as "radio singles" other than their high stream counts, movie and tv placements, and use in pr runs?

theDonandOnly

2y

Retrograde was a hit in the UK sales and radio wise which is where James is from tbf.

When you say what makes Limit To Your Love a radio single. This could be my UK bias but that song is so commercial lol. To the point it in the context of his debut it sounds like the kind of thing an underground artist adds to their album when the label tells them they need a single lol

One thing that this has made me think about was interestingly when James told Rick Rubin in an interview that he'd realised pop music wasn't his calling and he was going to get back to making stuff that was all about reharmonising a repeating melody line and all of this. But that sounds nothing like Friends that Break Your Heart so I'm confused as to what he was talking about now.

Did you like the Colour in Anything? I've always listened to his first two albums, his EPs and Assume Form but similar to Friends That Break Your Heart I haven't listened to TCIA since it came out. Just like FTBYH when I heard it I just thought "that was ok". I didn't even clock till this album cycle that fans were annoyed at Assume Form because I heard it like an obvious return to the run he'd been on with his first two projects

fiveprestos

2y

Yeah its gotta be a UK thing, there's nothing like Limit that's remotely comparable to anything thats been on us billboard since like missy Elliot Timbaland days

and yes TCIA is incredible man. I hate that he hates it. THAT album is his opus as far as songwriting is concerned imo, and he did an incredible job of building on his previous work while also flexing a much more expensive album budget. Take 80 minutes out sometime and give it another run through

theDonandOnly

2y

lol I need to hear this album again. I can't remember a single song from it. I love everything else he's done apart from that and this album.

Tbf even on this album I like Life is Not the Same and the version of Funeral with Slowthai

fiveprestos

2y

The only things that I like about this new album, and I really mean the only two things, are the outro to famous last words and the synths at the 25 second mark on lost angel nights

theDonandOnly

2y

love how specific your lost angel nights comment is lol

I do actually remember like how some of his lyrics were uncompromisingly specific about his situation as a relatively big but not a A-list artist rather than trying it make it relatable for the average listener lol. I like when singers are like that because you usually only get it from rappers

PIMP

2y

I seen u couple times in the gaming sxn too insulting people why do u do that

gay shoes

2y

I'm so ashamed of myself that I still haven't listened to this yet.. I'm awful

fiveprestos

2y

Yeah its gotta be a UK thing, there's nothing like Limit that's remotely comparable to anything thats been on us billboard since like missy Elliot Timbaland days

and yes TCIA is incredible man. I hate that he hates it. THAT album is his opus as far as songwriting is concerned imo, and he did an incredible job of building on his previous work while also flexing a much more expensive album budget. Take 80 minutes out sometime and give it another run through

UIP

2y

cuz so many of y’all mfs on this site DESPERATELY need to be told how dumb a lot of the s*** y’all say is

Purrp

2y

The Before EP exists and slaps

p apollo

2y

Do you Ever was my s***

p apollo

2y

Do you Ever was my s***

p apollo

2y

Do you Ever was my s***