Assume Form

Last updated

Assume Form
Assume Form.jpg
Studio album by
James Blake
Released18 January 2019 (2019-01-18)
Recorded2017–2018
Studio
Genre
Length48:08
Label Polydor
Producer
James Blake chronology
The Colour in Anything
(2016)		Assume Form
(2019)		 Before
(2020)
Singles from Assume Form
  1. "Don't Miss It"
    Released: 4 June 2018
  2. "Mile High"
    Released: 17 January 2019
  3. "Lullaby for My Insomniac"
    Released: 17 January 2019
  4. "Barefoot in the Park"
    Released: 4 April 2019
  5. "Mulholland"
    Released: 26 April 2019

Assume Form is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter and producer James Blake. It was released on 18 January 2019 by Polydor Records. Critics described the album as having a more upbeat sound than Blake's prior work, especially his previous album, The Colour in Anything (2016). The album, which combines pop and electropop, and elements of hip hop and R&B, features guest vocal appearances by Travis Scott, Moses Sumney, Rosalía, and André 3000, as well as contributions from producer Metro Boomin.

Contents

The lead single "Don't Miss It" was released on 4 June 2018 and two further singles, "Mile High" and "Lullaby for My Insomniac" followed in January. Upon the album's release, Assume Form received praise from critics for its more upbeat sound, romanticism and production. The album was nominated for Best Alternative Music Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards.

Background and recording

In 2016, James Blake collaborated with Beyoncé on the album Lemonade . Following this, he stated that he "always felt, or at least for a long time, that [his] position in music was to bubble under mainstream [...] [and] be kind of like a musician's musician". [1] Blake subsequently worked with numerous hip hop and electronic artists—including Jay-Z on the album 4:44 ; Kendrick Lamar on the track "Element"; Mount Kimbie the album Love What Survives ; Oneohtrix Point Never on the album Age Of ; and Travis Scott on the track "Stop Trying to Be God". [2] [3] [4] [5]

In May 2017, Blake revealed that he had already written new music such as "hip hop things" and "collaborative productions and beats" but added that he was unsure whether they would be stand-alone singles or projects. [6] He booked spontaneous sessions with Rosalía and André 3000, which brought about André 3000's EP Look Ma No Hands, as well as the tracks "Barefoot in the Park" and "Where's the Catch?", both tracks from Assume Form. [7] Blake was inspired to collaborate with Rosalía after hearing her debut record Los Ángeles , and stated that he "honestly hadn’t heard anything so vulnerable and raw and devastating in quite a while." He subsequently invited her to the studio and made "two or three things" and added that he "loved the sound of our voices together." [8] He also performed in the studio with Travis Scott after collaborating on his album Astroworld . He described the session as unusual, saying, "[Scott] had just released Astroworld, which is like banger after banger, and then he comes and does this really vulnerable, sweet love song [ Mile High]." The recording session with Moses Sumney and Metro Boomin for "Tell Them" was described as a "vulnerable moment" by Blake. [7]

Music and lyrics

Assume Form has been described as a pop and electropop with elements of hip hop and R&B, [9] [10] [11] and as significantly more upbeat than his previous records, numerous publications contrasting it with the "utterly downcast" The Colour in Anything . [12] [13] [14] Blake's vocals range from deeper tones to a falsetto and the record also features manipulated vocals and a "self-choir". [15] [16] Variations on a hip hop beat featured on the track "Can't Believe the Way We Flow", which Blake performed several times in late 2017, appears on various tracks off the record. [17] Its lyrics mainly allude to Blake's relationship with his girlfriend Jameela Jamil and their life in Los Angeles. [11] Blake told Dazed that the album was about his current feelings, referring to his sentiments towards his girlfriend, as a reaction to when online music magazine Pitchfork described Assume Form's lead single "Don't Miss It" as "sad boy music", and explained that "on this record, I'm just talking about how I feel now, and I will continue to write about how I feel, or sometimes I won't talk about how I feel, but I'll fucking damn well choose when I do and when I don't – without feeling like because I'm a man I shouldn't do that." [7] In an interview with Exclaim! , Blake said, "I wanted to try and say the thing I mean, which is hard. It's scary to do that sometimes. I think the fear kept me from doing that before." [18]

Promotion and release

In December 2018, Blake announced a tour of North America beginning in Atlanta in February 2019 and ending in Los Angeles the following month. [19] People who had purchased tickets for the North America tour also received a copy of his forthcoming album. [20] Later that month, Blake teased new material with American rapper and multi-instrumentalist André 3000 during a show in Brooklyn. [21] [22]

On 3 January 2019, a French Amazon pre-order page of the album surfaced online, including details such as its release date, track listing, and featured artists, thus revealing that the single "Don't Miss It", which was released on 4 June 2018, was a track from the album. [23] [24] However, both "Vincent", released in late 2017, and "If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead", released earlier in 2018 were absent from the track listing. [25] [23] Nevertheless, there had been speculation that the leak was "an elaborate fake". [26]

Soon after, LED and projection billboards appeared in London and New York promoting the album and revealing a URL for assumeform.com. [27] [28] The site featured a short sample of minimal, ambient music, revealed by Shazam to be "Lullaby for My Insomniac", and an animated graphic featuring the album title. [29] A sign in tag and a video asking a series of questions, taken from the lyrics to the title track, were later added to the site. [23] On 10 January, promotional posters for the album appeared on the London Underground, revealing the album' cover art and officially confirming a release date of 18 January 2019 and guest appearances from André 3000, Travis Scott, Moses Sumney, Metro Boomin and Rosalía. [30] [23] Both the track listing and the features were confirmed on Blake's official Instagram account. [23]

On 17 January, only twelve hours prior to the album's release, Blake released the track "Mile High" featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin after having premiered it on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show. [31] [32] [33] Hours later, a third single, "Lullaby for My Insomniac", was released. [34] [35] The track "Barefoot in the Park" was released as a single on 4 April, accompanied by a music video. [36] [37] The song "Mulholland", which is included on the vinyl version of Assume Form, was released on 26 April as a single. [38] [39]

Critical reception

Assume Form ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.4/10 [40]
Metacritic 80/100 [41]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [42]
The A.V. Club B [43]
The Daily Telegraph Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [44]
Entertainment Weekly A− [45]
The Guardian Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
The Independent Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [15]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [46]
NME Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [13]
Pitchfork 5.8/10 [47]
Q Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [48]

Assume Form was met with generally positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received a weighted average score of 80, based on 31 reviews. [41] Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave it 7.4 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus. [40]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian praised Blake for "adding fresh, noticeably brighter colours to his palette" and wrote that "it is immensely pleasing to witness an artist who seemed to be at a dead end now moving forward." [12] Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph gave the album a perfect score, calling it Blake's "most fully-realised album to date" and "dizzyingly romantic". [44] Conversely, Spencer Kornhaber of The Atlantic wrote that though "as a headphones experience, Assume Form does deliver the expected shivers," he concluded that the album's main flaw was "in over-explaining his art". [10]

In a positive A− review, Wren Graves of Consequence called the album a "remarkable achievement" and commended Blake as "one of the most original songwriters of his generation." [49] Jon Pareles wrote that the album "opens into haunted, rewarding depths" in a positive review for The New York Times . [50] Stereogum 's James Rettig commended the album's features and also praised its production, writing that though "Blake's songs occasionally bleed together, [...] here he avoids that by grounding each one in these unique twists of form." [51] Tom Connick of NME gave the album the site's first five-star rating of 2019, hailing Blake as "one of the world's greatest producers [...], a brilliant songwriter and emotive lyricist." [13] Helen Brown echoed these sentiments in her review for The Independent , writing that "his trademark intelligence, honesty and pin-drop production remain intact" and described the album as "a bubble of personal bliss in an ocean full of plastic." [15]

Fred Thomas was more reserved in his assessment for AllMusic, stating that "In some ways it's hard not to miss that trademark ache and downcast minimalism" but added that the record "represents artistic development and a strike at emotional vulnerability from a talent who could have tread well-known territory indefinitely" and concluding that "the shifting perspectives of Assume Form are refreshing." [42] Andy Beta in a review for Spin deemed the album "Blake's most coherent statement to date" and wrote that "he doubles down on his melancholy, but also makes room for love." [16] Alex Suskind of Entertainment Weekly wrote in a positive review that "On his new album Assume Form, Blake abandons that piercing despair — though not his emotional vulnerability — by choosing romance over sorrow." [45]

In a more negative review, Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork criticized the album's "suffocating seriousness" for bogging down "genuine moments of levity and love." [47] However, Blake stated in response that he thinks "they might still be a bit upset that I called them out for their toxic masculinity," referring to when he criticized the site for calling his track "Don't Miss It" "sad boy" music. [52]

Year-end lists

Select year-end rankings of Assume Form
Critic/PublicationListRankRef.
Afisha Daily (Russia)The Best Foreign Albums of 2019
3
Clash Clash Albums of the Year 2019
18
Complex The Best Albums of 2019
27
The Guardian The 50 Best Albums of 2019
31
The Independent The 50 Best Albums of 2019
8
NME The 50 Best Albums of 2019
22
SputnikmusicStaff's Top 50 Albums of 2019
40
Time The 10 Best Albums of 2019
10

Industry awards

Awards and nominations for Assume Form
YearCeremonyCategoryResultRef.
2020 Grammy Awards Best Alternative Music Album Nominated

Commercial performance

Assume Form debuted at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart in the United States with 22,000 equivalent album units, including 9,000 from traditional album sales. The album became Blake's highest charting album on Billboard, and his third chart-topping album by genre. In addition, all tracks from the album charted on the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart. [62] [63] Blake also earned his highest charting album in the United Kingdom, reaching number 6 and selling 6,226 equivalent album units, including 1,344 CD units. [64] [65]

Track listing

Assume Form track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Assume Form" James Litherland
4:49
2."Mile High" (featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin)
3:13
3."Tell Them" (featuring Moses Sumney and Metro Boomin)
3:28
4."Into the Red"Litherland
  • James Blake
  • Maker [a]
  • Jamil [b]
4:17
5."Barefoot in the Park" (featuring Rosalía)
  • James Blake
  • Maker [b]
3:31
6."Can't Believe the Way We Flow"
4:27
7."Are You in Love?"Litherland
  • James Blake
  • Jamil [b]
3:17
8."Where's the Catch?" (featuring André 3000)
  • James Blake
  • Maker [a]
4:36
9."I'll Come Too"
  • James Blake
  • Maker [a]
  • Jamil [b]
3:42
10."Power On"Litherland
  • James Blake
  • Maker [a]
  • Jamil [b]
4:06
11."Don't Miss It"Litherland
  • James Blake
  • Maker [a]
4:59
12."Lullaby for My Insomniac"LitherlandJames Blake3:43
Total length:48:08
Japan bonus tracks [66]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Vincent" (Don McLean cover)Don McLeanEd Freeman5:12
14."If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead"Litherland
  • James Blake
  • Maker [a]
4:23
Total length:57:54
LP bonus track [67]
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Mulholland" (Side D, Track 3; track 12 on digital version)LitherlandJames Blake3:11

Notes

Sample credits

Personnel

Credits adapted from official liner notes. [69]

Musicians

Technical

Design

Charts

Release history

Release history and formats for Assume Form
RegionDateLabel(s)Format(s)Ref.
Various18 January 2019 Polydor [94] [95] [96]
Japan27 February 2019 Universal Music Japan CD [66]
Various10 May 2019Polydor LP [67]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Blake (musician)</span> English singer-songwriter (born 1988)

James Blake Litherland 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.

<i>Rodeo</i> (Travis Scott album) 2015 studio album by Travis Scott

Rodeo is the debut studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on September 4, 2015, through Grand Hustle Records and distributed by Epic Records. The album features guest appearances from Quavo, Future, 2 Chainz, Juicy J, Kacy Hill, The Weeknd, Swae Lee, Chief Keef, Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Young Thug, Toro y Moi, and Schoolboy Q, while production was provided by Scott himself, alongside WondaGurl, Allen Ritter, Mike Dean, Metro Boomin, Frank Dukes, and Sonny Digital, among others.

<i>The Colour in Anything</i> 2016 studio album by James Blake

The Colour in Anything is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter and producer James Blake. It was released on 6 May 2016, by Polydor Records. It serves as the follow-up to his Mercury Prize-winning 2013 album Overgrown. It features contributions from Justin Vernon and Frank Ocean, and additional production work by Rick Rubin.

<i>Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight</i> 2016 studio album by Travis Scott

Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight is the second studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on September 2, 2016, through Grand Hustle Records and distributed by Epic Records. It exclusively premiered through Travis Scott and Chase B's radio show Wav Radio on Beats 1 and Apple Music. The album features guest appearances from André 3000, Blac Youngsta, Kid Cudi, Nav, 21 Savage, Kendrick Lamar, Bryson Tiller, Young Thug, Quavo, K. Forest, and the Weeknd. Production was handled by a number of record producers, including Nav, Vinylz, Mike Dean, Cardo, Frank Dukes, Allen Ritter, and Murda Beatz, among others.

<i>Not All Heroes Wear Capes</i> 2018 studio album by Metro Boomin

Not All Heroes Wear Capes is the debut studio album by American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released by Boominati Worldwide and Republic Records on November 2, 2018. The album features guest appearances from Gucci Mane, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Swae Lee, Gunna, Young Thug, Wizkid, J. Balvin, Offset, Kodak Black, and Drake. The deluxe edition of the album was released, consisting of the instrumental versions of all songs from the standard edition on November 6, 2018. The album is the first part of a trilogy, with the second part being its sequel, Metro's second studio album, Heroes & Villains, which was released on December 2, 2022.

<i>Without Warning</i> (album) 2017 studio album by 21 Savage, Offset, and Metro Boomin

Without Warning is a collaborative studio album by British-American rapper 21 Savage, American rapper Offset, and American record producer Metro Boomin. The album was released on October 31, 2017, by Slaughter Gang, Epic Records, Capitol Records, Motown, Quality Control Music, Boominati Worldwide, and Republic Records. It features guest appearances from Travis Scott and Quavo. Meanwhile, the album's production was handled primarily by Metro Boomin, alongside Bijan Amir, Cubeatz, Dre Moon, and Southside. Without Warning peaked at number four on the US Billboard 200, and received generally positive reviews from critics.

<i>Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho</i> 2017 studio album by Huncho Jack

Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho is the only studio album by American hip hop duo Huncho Jack, which consists of Travis Scott and Quavo. The album was released on December 21, 2017, by Cactus Jack Records, Grand Hustle Records, Epic Records, Capitol Records, Motown, and Quality Control Music. It features guest appearances from fellow Migos members, Takeoff and Offset. Production was handled by Murda Beatz, Southside, and Frank Dukes, among others.

<i>Double or Nothing</i> (Big Sean and Metro Boomin album) 2017 studio album by Big Sean and Metro Boomin

Double or Nothing is a collaborative studio album by American rapper Big Sean and American record producer Metro Boomin. The album was released on December 8, 2017, by GOOD Music, Def Jam Recordings, Republic Records, Universal Music Group and Boominati Worldwide. It features guest appearances from Travis Scott, 2 Chainz, 21 Savage, Kash Doll, Young Thug, and Swae Lee. The album's production was handled primarily by Metro Boomin, alongside Earlly Mac, Pi'erre Bourne and Southside.

<i>Swimming</i> (Mac Miller album) 2018 studio album by Mac Miller

Swimming is the fifth studio album by American rapper Mac Miller. It was released on August 3, 2018 by REMember Music and Warner Bros. Records. Miller produced the album himself, with Jon Brion, Dev Hynes, J. Cole, ID Labs, Dâm-Funk, DJ Dahi, Tae Beast, Flying Lotus, and Cardo, among others. The album has no credited features, but contains vocal contributions from Dâm-Funk, Dev Hynes, Snoop Dogg, Syd, Thundercat, and JID. Miller died on September 7, 2018, making Swimming his final album to be released during his lifetime.

<i>Astroworld</i> (album) 2018 studio album by Travis Scott

Astroworld is the third studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released on August 3, 2018, through Cactus Jack Records and Grand Hustle Records, and distributed by Epic Records. The album features guest vocals from Frank Ocean, Drake, Swae Lee, Kid Cudi, James Blake, Philip Bailey, Juice Wrld, Sheck Wes, the Weeknd, 21 Savage, Gunna, Nav, Don Toliver, Quavo, and Takeoff, among others. Production was handled by multiple producers, including Scott himself, Mike Dean, Allen Ritter, Hit-Boy, WondaGurl, Tay Keith, Tame Impala, Frank Dukes, Sonny Digital, Murda Beatz, and Thundercat, among others. The album follows Scott's second studio album, Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight (2016), and his collaborative album with Quavo, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho (2017).

<i>I Am Greater than I Was</i> 2018 studio album by 21 Savage

I Am > I Was is the second solo studio album by British-American rapper 21 Savage, released on December 21, 2018. I Am > I Was features vocals by J. Cole, City Girls, Offset, Post Malone, Gunna, Lil Baby, Schoolboy Q, Project Pat, Childish Gambino, and Savage's cousin Young Nudy. The deluxe edition was released three days later, featuring one more song, which features an additional guest appearance from Travis Scott.

<i>The Wizrd</i> 2019 studio album by Future

Future Hndrxx Presents: The Wizrd is the seventh studio album by the American rapper Future, released on January 18, 2019, by Freebandz and Epic Records. It was announced on January 4 with the release of the single "Crushed Up". The album was additionally promoted by a film titled The Wizrd, released on January 11 on Apple Music. The second single, "Jumpin on a Jet", was released on January 9. The album has 20 songs and includes guest appearances by Young Thug, Gunna, and Travis Scott.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mile High (song)</span> 2019 single by James Blake featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin

"Mile High" is a song by written and performed English singer-songwriter and electronic music producer James Blake featuring American rapper and singer Travis Scott and American record producer Metro Boomin, released on 17 January 2019 through Polydor Records as the second single from the former's fourth studio album, Assume Form (2019). It was produced by Blake and Metro alongside Dan Foat, Dre Moon, and Wavy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barefoot in the Park (song)</span> 2019 single

"Barefoot in the Park" is a song by English electronic music producer and singer-songwriter James Blake featuring Spanish singer and songwriter Rosalía. It was written by Blake, Rosalía and Paco Ortega and produced by Blake, Dominic Maker and Dan Foat. The single was released on 4 April 2019, by Polydor Records, as the fourth single from Blake's fourth studio album Assume Form (2019). It is a Latin-infused ballad which blends Blake's electronic and UK bass style, trap drums and Rosalía's traditional flamenco influences. Inspired by the 1967 film Barefoot in the Park, its romantic lyrics celebrate togetherness.

<i>So Much Fun</i> 2019 studio album by Young Thug

So Much Fun is the debut studio album by American rapper Young Thug. It was released on August 16, 2019, by YSL Records, 300 Entertainment and Atlantic Records. The album features guest appearances from Future, Machine Gun Kelly, Gunna, Lil Baby, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Duke, 21 Savage, Doe Boy, Lil Keed, Quavo, Juice Wrld, Nav, J. Cole, and Travis Scott. The album was supported by the singles "The London" and "Hot".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highest in the Room</span> 2019 single by Travis Scott

"Highest in the Room" is a song by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released as a single on October 4, 2019. It was released in a variety of formats, including on 7-inch vinyl, cassette and as a CD single. In its first week, it debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100, for the chart dated October 19, 2019, becoming Scott's second US number-one single, following "Sicko Mode". A remix featuring Spanish singer Rosalía and American rapper Lil Baby was released on December 27, 2019, and featured on Scott and other Cactus Jack members' compilation album JackBoys (2019) on the same day, while the original release remains off the compilation. The remix version was released to Italian contemporary hit radio on January 7, 2020. The song received a nomination for Best Melodic Rap Performance at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards.

<i>JackBoys</i> 2019 compilation album by JackBoys and Travis Scott

Jackboys is a collaborative compilation album by American record label Cactus Jack Records, under the name Jackboys, led by American rapper and singer Travis Scott. It was released through Cactus Jack Records alongside Epic Records on December 27, 2019. The album features guest appearances from Rosalía, Lil Baby, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, Quavo, Offset, Young Thug, and Pop Smoke. Jackboys is a hip hop collective of rappers signed to Scott's Cactus Jack imprint, including Scott himself, Sheck Wes, Don Toliver, SoFaygo, and Scott's DJ Chase B. Upon debut, Jackboys opened atop the US Billboard 200 on January 11, 2020, becoming the first number one album of the 2020s. It was Scott's third album to debut atop the chart after his third studio album, Astroworld (2018).

<i>Utopia</i> (Travis Scott album) 2023 studio album by Travis Scott

Utopia is the fourth studio album by American rapper Travis Scott. It was released through Cactus Jack and Epic Records on July 28, 2023. The album features guest appearances from Teezo Touchdown, Drake, Playboi Carti, Beyoncé, Rob49, 21 Savage, the Weeknd, Swae Lee, Yung Lean, Dave Chappelle, Young Thug, Westside Gunn, Kid Cudi, Bad Bunny, SZA, Future, and James Blake. Physical releases of the album feature additional guest appearances from Lil Uzi Vert and Sheck Wes. Production was handled by a variety of record producers, including Scott and Blake themselves, WondaGurl, Ye, Allen Ritter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Wheezy, Buddy Ross, Vegyn, 30 Roc, Jahaan Sweet, Boi-1da, Vinylz, Tay Keith, Bnyx, Oz, Justin Vernon, the Alchemist, Dom Maker, Illangelo, DVLP, and Metro Boomin, among others. The album serves as the follow-up to Scott's third studio album, Astroworld (2018), as well as JackBoys (2019), his compilation album that was released in collaboration with Cactus Jack. It is a concept record that was accompanied by a film titled Circus Maximus which was released the day before the album.

<i>The Melodic Blue</i> 2021 studio album by Baby Keem

The Melodic Blue is the debut studio album by American rapper and record producer Baby Keem. It was released on September 10, 2021, by PGLang and Columbia Records, with Keem serving as the executive producer. The standard version of the album features guest appearances by rappers Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, and Don Toliver. An updated version, released on September 22, features an additional guest appearance from singer Brent Faiyaz. The deluxe edition of The Melodic Blue, released on October 28, 2022, features additional guest appearances from PinkPantheress and Lil Uzi Vert.

<i>Heroes & Villains</i> 2022 studio album by Metro Boomin

Heroes & Villains is the second studio album by American record producer Metro Boomin. It was released through Republic Records and Boominati on December 2, 2022. The album contains guest appearances from John Legend, Future, Chris Brown, Don Toliver, Travis Scott, 21 Savage, Young Nudy, Young Thug, the Weeknd, Mustafa, ASAP Rocky, the late Takeoff, and Gunna. Production was mainly handled by Metro himself, alongside TM88, DJ Moon, Peter Lee Johnson, Johan Lenox, Allen Ritter, David x Eli, Honorable C.N.O.T.E., Scriptplugg, Prince85, Oz, Nik D, D. Rich, DaHeala, My Best Friend Jacob, Elkan, Simon on the Moon, and Xz.

References

  1. ↑ Fekadu, Mesfin (18 January 2019). "James Blake, music's most requested collaborator, opens up". Associated Press . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  2. ↑ Reed, Ryan (10 January 2019). "James Blake Recruits Andre 3000, Travis Scott for New LP, 'Assume Form'". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  3. ↑ Findlay, Mitch (3 August 2018). "Travis Scott, James Blake, Stevie Wonder Go Ethereal On "Stop Trying To Be God"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  4. ↑ Beta, Andy (11 September 2017). "Mount Kimbie: Love What Survives Album Review". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  5. ↑ Neubeck, Kyle (24 April 2017). "How James Blake Contributed to Kendrick Lamar's 'Damn'". Complex . Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  6. ↑ Morgan Britton, Luke (17 May 2017). "James Blake talks working with Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean". NME . Archived from the original on 17 May 2017. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 Cliff, Aimee (17 January 2019). "How James Blake loosened up and learned to speak his mind". Dazed . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  8. ↑ Ch, Devin (19 January 2019). "James Blake & ROSALÍA Go "Barefoot In The Park"". HotNewHipHop. Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  9. ↑ Harvilla, Rob (18 January 2019). "On 'Assume Form,' James Blake Sheds the "Sad Boy" Label". The Ringer . Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  10. 1 2 Kornhaber, Spencer (17 January 2019). "James Blake's Ether Becomes Mush". The Atlantic . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  11. 1 2 Dean, Jonathan (12 January 2019). "James Blake's loved-up new pop album will have you hooked all year". British GQ . Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  12. 1 2 3 Petridis, Alexis (17 January 2019). "James Blake: Assume Form review – lovestruck producer turns dark into light: Alexis Petridis' album of the week". The Guardian . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 Connick, Tom (18 January 2019). "James Blake – 'Assume Form' review". NME . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  14. ↑ Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (18 January 2019). "James Blake: Assume Form — slow but stirring and less solitary". Financial Times . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  15. 1 2 3 Brown, Helen (18 January 2019). "James Blake, Assume Form, album review: Euphoric sepia soul and loved-up doo-wop". The Independent . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  16. 1 2 Beta, Andy (18 January 2019). "James Blake 'Assume Form' Review". Spin . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  17. ↑ Keeling, Ryan (18 January 2019). "James Blake – Assume Form". Resident Advisor . Archived from the original on 19 January 2019. Retrieved 20 January 2019.
  18. ↑ Slingerland, Calum (30 January 2019). "James Blake Says What He Means on 'Assume Form'". Exclaim! . Archived from the original on 31 January 2019. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  19. ↑ Sodomsky, Sam (4 December 2018). "James Blake Announces 2019 Tour". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  20. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (13 December 2018). "Tickets For James Blake's Tour Come With A Copy Of His Next Album". Uproxx . Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  21. ↑ Saponara, Michael (11 December 2018). "James Blake Teases New Andre 3000 Collab During DJ Set in Brooklyn: Listen". Billboard . Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  22. ↑ Matheson, Anna (13 May 2018). "James Blake and Andre 3000 collaborate on new track 'Look Ma No Hands'". NME . Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Earls, John (10 January 2019). "James Blake confirms new album 'Assume Form' and stellar guests". NME . Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  24. ↑ Hussein, Wandera (3 January 2019). "New James Blake album reportedly out this month, features Travis Scott, Andre 3000, and more". The Fader . Archived from the original on 4 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  25. ↑ "James Blake Teases New Album 'Assume Form'". DIY . 7 January 2019. Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  26. ↑ Breihan, Tom (3 January 2019). "James Blake To Release New Album 'Assume Form' This Month?". Stereogum . Archived from the original on 3 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  27. ↑ Stiernberg, Bonnie (5 January 2019). "James Blake Teases New Album, 'Assume Form'". Billboard . Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  28. ↑ Darville, Jordan (4 January 2019). "James Blake reveals Assume Form website with new music". The Fader . Archived from the original on 5 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  29. ↑ Rossignol, Derrick (7 January 2019). "James Blake Finally Shared An Official Teaser For His Upcoming Album". Uproxx . Archived from the original on 7 January 2019. Retrieved 12 January 2019.
  30. ↑ Renshaw, David (10 January 2019). "James Blake to release new album next week". The Fader . Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  31. ↑ DeVille, Chris (17 January 2019). "James Blake – "Mile High" (Feat. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin)". Stereogum . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  32. ↑ Armstrong, Megan (17 January 2019). "James Blake Enlists Travis Scott & Metro Boomin for Hypnotic Song 'Mile High': Listen". Billboard . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  33. ↑ "Mile High (feat. Metro Boomin & Travis Scott) – Single". iTunes Store . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  34. ↑ Gottsegen, Will (17 January 2019). "James Blake – "Lullaby For My Insomniac"". Spin . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  35. ↑ Yoo, Noah (18 January 2019). "James Blake Releases New Album Assume Form: Listen". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  36. ↑ Daramola, Israel (4 April 2019). "Video: James Blake – "Barefoot in the Park" (feat. Rosalía)". Spin . Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  37. ↑ Alston, Trey (24 May 2019). "James Blake Brings Peace And Serenity To Ellen With 'I'll Come Too' Performance". MTV . Archived from the original on 24 May 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2019.
  38. ↑ Hussein, Wandera (26 April 2019). "Stream James Blake's new single "Mulholland"". The Fader . Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  39. ↑ Shatz, Lake (26 April 2019). "James Blake reveals new song "Mulholland": Stream". Consequence . Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  40. 1 2 "Assume Form by James Blake reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  41. 1 2 "Assume Form by James Blake Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 24 January 2019.
  42. 1 2 Thomas, Fred. "Assume Form – James Blake". AllMusic . Archived from the original on 20 January 2019. Retrieved 19 January 2019.
  43. ↑ Howe, Brian (22 January 2019). "James Blake's Assume Form is both a surprising twist and a logical conclusion". The A.V. Club . Archived from the original on 24 January 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2019.
  44. 1 2 McCormick, Neil (17 January 2019). "James Blake, Assume Form, review: this dizzyingly romantic album is a beautiful thing to behold". The Daily Telegraph . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  45. 1 2 Suskind, Alex (17 January 2019). "On Assume Form, it's love through the eyes of James Blake: EW review". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  46. ↑ Chick, Stevie (March 2019). "James Blake: Assume Form". Mojo (304): 88.
  47. 1 2 Sherburne, Philip (22 January 2019). "James Blake: Assume Form". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on 22 January 2019. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  48. ↑ Howe, Rupert (March 2019). "Solid Gold". Q (395): 113.
  49. ↑ Graves, Wren (17 January 2019). "Album Review: James Blake Strikes a Perfect Emotional Balance on Assume Form". Consequence . Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  50. ↑ Pareles, Jon (16 January 2019). "James Blake Finds Love, Moodily, on 'Assume Form'". The New York Times . ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on 16 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  51. ↑ Rettig, James (17 January 2019). "Premature Evaluation: James Blake's 'Assume Form'". Stereogum . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 17 January 2019.
  52. ↑ Adams, Cameron (2 February 2019). "James Blake on changing his "sad boy" narrative and reading his own reviews". Herald Sun . Archived from the original on 4 February 2019. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
  53. ↑ "Лучшие зарубежные альбомы 2019 года" [The Best Foreign Albums of 2019]. Afisha Daily . 26 December 2019. Archived from the original on 5 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  54. ↑ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2019". Clash . 18 December 2019. Archived from the original on 10 June 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  55. ↑ "The Best Albums of 2019 | James Blake, 'Assume Form'". Complex . 3 December 2019. Archived from the original on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  56. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2019: 31-50". The Guardian . 4 December 2019. Archived from the original on 18 February 2020. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  57. ↑ Brown, Helen (20 December 2019). "The 50 best albums of 2019 – from Tyler, the Creator's IGOR to Weyes Blood's Titanic Rising". The Independent . Archived from the original on 22 December 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  58. ↑ "The 50 best albums of 2019". NME . 17 December 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
  59. ↑ BlushfulHippocrene (18 December 2019). "Staff's Top 50 Albums of 2019: 50 – 31". Sputnikmusic. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  60. ↑ Chow, Andrew R.; Bruner, Raisa (27 November 2019). "The 10 Best Albums of 2019". Time . Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  61. ↑ Variety Staff (26 January 2020). "2020 Grammys Winners List". Variety . Archived from the original on 17 September 2020. Retrieved 11 September 2023.
  62. ↑ "Top 200 Albums – Billboard 200 chart: The week of February 2, 2019". Billboard . Archived from the original on 30 January 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  63. ↑ Murray, Gordan (31 January 2019). "James Blake Debuts at No. 1 on Top Dance/Electronic Albums Chart". Billboard . Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  64. ↑ McIntyre, Hugh (26 January 2019). "James Blake Joins A Handful Of Other U.K. Favorites By Debuting His New Album Inside The Top 10". Forbes . Archived from the original on 27 January 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  65. ↑ James Blake (26 January 2019). "Finally, UK #1. I don't care if it's in the cassette charts". Twitter . Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  66. 1 2 "アシューム・フォーム[CD]" (in Japanese). Universal Music Japan. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  67. 1 2 "Assume Form Double Heavyweight Vinyl". James Blake. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  68. 1 2 3 4 5 Davies, Sam (18 January 2019). "James Blake 'Assume Form'". XLR8R . Archived from the original on 25 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  69. ↑ Assume Form (CD liner notes). James Blake. Polydor. 2019. B0029684-02.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  70. ↑ "Australiancharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  71. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – James Blake – Assume Form" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  72. ↑ "Ultratop.be – James Blake – Assume Form" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  73. ↑ "Ultratop.be – James Blake – Assume Form" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  74. ↑ "James Blake Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  75. ↑ "Danishcharts.dk – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  76. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – James Blake – Assume Form" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  77. ↑ "Lescharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  78. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – James Blake – Assume Form" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  79. ↑ "Irish-charts.com – Discography James Blake". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  80. ↑ "Italiancharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  81. ↑ "Mūzikas Patēriņa Tops/ 4. nedēļa" (in Latvian). LAIPA. Archived from the original on 10 October 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  82. ↑ "Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100)" (in Lithuanian). AGATA. 25 January 2019. Archived from the original on 9 October 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  83. ↑ "Charts.nz – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  84. ↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  85. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  86. ↑ "Spanishcharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  87. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  88. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – James Blake – Assume Form". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 January 2019.
  89. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
  90. ↑ "James Blake Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  91. ↑ "James Blake Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
  92. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 2019". Ultratop. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
  93. ↑ "Top Dance/Electronic Albums – Year-End 2019". Billboard. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
  94. ↑ "Assume Form by James Blake". iTunes Store . Archived from the original on 18 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  95. ↑ "Assume Form CD". James Blake Official Store. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
  96. ↑ "Assume Form Cassette". James Blake Official Store. Archived from the original on 10 January 2019. Retrieved 10 January 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.