"Mile High" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by James Blake featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin | ||||
from the album Assume Form | ||||
Released | 17 January 2019 | |||
Genre | Trap | |||
Length | 3:13 | |||
Label | Polydor | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) |
| |||
James Blake singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Travis Scott singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Metro Boomin singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Music video | ||||
"Mile High" on YouTube |
"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. [1]
Musically,"Mile High" is a trap track which features influences from each artist's musical style. Following the track's premiere on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show as that day's "World Record",the track was met with positive reviews from music critics,with most praising the three artists' chemistry.
In 2020,New Zealand singer Benee covered the song for Australian youth broadcaster Triple J's segment Like a Version .
In an interview with Zane Lowe of Beats 1,James Blake revealed that the song was created during a recording session that was not initially meant to have anything to do with the album Assume Form . He was listening to Travis Scott singing over Metro Boomin's beat when,impressed,he asked to sing over it. [2] [3] He hailed Scott as "exceptionally talented at melodies" in an interview with Apple Music [4] and also told Dazed that he was impressed at Scott's musical range,saying "he'd just released Astroworld ,which is like banger after banger,and then he comes and does this really vulnerable,sweet love song." [5] Blake also praised Metro Boomin,saying "the beat is a huge part of why that track feels the way it does." [4]
"Mile High" has been described as "a slow-burning soul trap banger" with "the signature Travis Scott bass hits and murky,rainy-weather James Blake mood." [6] Rolling Stone noted that the track features "more of Blake’s DNA than his collaborators’",adding that the track "is an exercise in restraint." [7] Conversely, Spin described it as "a quieter,dispassionate version of [...] most Travis Scott music." [8] MTV noted that Scott "and his blunt rhymes [...] are balanced by Blake's gentle crooning." [9] Vocally,the two artists' vocals range from a deep tone to a falsetto. [10]
The song was released just twelve hours prior to the release of Assume Form through Polydor Records. [11] [12] It premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show,where Lowe reportedly played the song three times over and said "James Blake,you’ve done it again." [13]
"Mile High" was met with positive reviews from music critics,most praising the three artists' chemistry. Consequence of Sound deemed it the best track of the week,writing that it "proves that Scott can fit in on more than just his signature bangers,with an almost comforting delivery that’s more inviting than assertive." [14] Stereogum gave it the same accolade,noting that "There’s a stuttering sample of something —a flute maybe? —that echoes like a birdcall through a rainforest. It’s lovely." [10] Raisa Bruner featured it on Time's "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week" list,calling it "a love song [...] but also a flex —not just in terms of lyrical content,but also in terms of just how understated Blake can be." [15] Robert Marshall of Hypebeast hailed the track as " perfect marriage of the trio’s distinct sounds,while also proving Blake’s sonic progression." [16] Ben Devlin of MusicOMH echoed these views,writing that "it shows remarkable chemistry." [17]
A music video for "Mile High" was released on 3 February 2019,just hours before Scott's performance at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show, [18] and had previously been teased on Blake's social media. [19] [20] It was directed by Nabil and is set at and filmed in the Mile High Cafe in Idyllwild,California. [21] The visual has been compared by Rolling Stone and HotNewHipHop to the "sunken place" scene in the 2017 horror film Get Out . [22] [23] The video begins with Blake sitting in the Mile High Cafe with a cup of tea before Scott bangs on the cafe's window to gain his attention. Scott then sits down at Blake's table and discusses the colour of the sky and the idea of not owning a cell phone. While stirring his tea,Blake drifts off to a dark dreamworld inside his mind and begins to perform the song with Scott. Meanwhile,Scott tries to regain Blake's attention in the real world. [24] [19]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
On 31 January 2020, New Zealand singer Benee featured on Australian youth broadcaster Triple J's segment Like a Version , where she performed a cover of the song, in addition to a performance of "Glitter". [33] [34]
"Overdue" is a song by American record producer Metro Boomin featuring American rapper Travis Scott from the former's debut studio album Not All Heroes Wear Capes (2018). With additional production from Milan Beker, the song samples the Berlin Breakdown Version of "Anthonio" by Annie, from the 2014 film The Guest.
James Blake Litherland is an English singer, songwriter, and record producer. He first gained recognition following the release of three EPs—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. He then departed the label in favour of Republic Records, through which he released his second album, Overgrown (2013) to further critical and commercial success; it likewise peaked within the chart's top ten and moderately entered the US Billboard 200. His third album, The Colour in Anything (2016) was followed by his 2018 single "King's Dead", which peaked at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart and number 21 on the Billboard Hot 100. Its success foresaw the release of his fourth album, Assume Form (2019), which yielded his highest entry on both the UK Albums Chart and Billboard 200. His fifth and sixth albums, Friends That Break Your Heart (2021) and Playing Robots Into Heaven (2023) followed thereafter.
Sonny Corey Uwaezuoke, better known by his stage name Sonny Digital, is an American record producer, rapper, and DJ. He first saw recognition for his production work on YC's 2011 single "Racks", which peaked within the top 50 of the Billboard Hot 100. Throughout the following decade, he was credited on a string of commercially successful hip hop and trap singles including ILoveMakonnen's "Tuesday", Future's "Same Damn Time", 50 Cent's "I'm the Man", 2 Chainz's "Birthday Song", and Travis Scott's "Stargazing". Uwaezuoke has also produced for XXL Magazine's Freshman Hip Hop Cyphers in 2017 and 2018, and pursued a lukewarmly-received career as a recording artist.
Leland Tyler Wayne, known professionally as Metro Boomin, is an American record producer. Critically acclaimed for his dark production style, he is regarded as one of the most influential producers in modern hip hop and trap music. His frequent collaborators include Future, Young Thug, the Weeknd, Travis Scott, Don Toliver, 21 Savage, Gucci Mane, Gunna and Nav.
This is the discography of American record producer, Metro Boomin. It includes a list of songs produced, co-produced and remixed by year, artists, album and title.
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.
Jacques Bermon Webster II, known professionally as Travis Scott, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Throughout his career, Scott has achieved four number-one hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart, along with a total of over one hundred charting songs. Scott has been nominated for ten Grammy Awards and won a Latin Grammy Award, Billboard Music Award, MTV Video Music Award, and multiple BET Hip Hop Awards. As of 2023, Scott has sold over 49 million certified records in the U.S. alone. Scott's musical style has been described as a "blend between traditional hip-hop and lo-fi" and often characterized as "ambient," with a heavily appraised influence from rappers Kanye West and Kid Cudi. His stage name is derived from the latter's real name, Scott Mescudi, combined with the name of a favorite uncle.
Shéyaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, known professionally as 21 Savage, is a British rapper permanently based in the United States. Born in London and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, he began his recording career in 2013 and released three independent mixtapes to regional acclaim. His breakout project—the collaborative extended play (EP) with record producer Metro Boomin titled Savage Mode (2016)—peaked at number 23 on the Billboard 200. Its lead singles, "X" and "No Heart" both peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100. Later that year, he saw further recognition for his guest appearance on Drake's single "Sneakin'". He then signed a recording contract with Epic Records in January 2017.
The discography of British-American rapper 21 Savage consists of nine studio albums, three collaborative albums, three mixtapes, three extended plays, and 31 singles.
Navraj Singh Goraya, known professionally as Nav, is a Canadian rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Nav originally began his career as a producer, co-producing fellow Canadian rapper Drake's single, "Back to Back", in 2015. He then gained mainstream attention in 2016 when his song "Myself" went viral on SoundCloud. Nav is signed to Canadian singer the Weeknd's record label XO and its parent label, Republic Records, and is managed by XO managers Amir "Cash" Esmailian and Wassim "Sal" Slaiby.
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.
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.
English singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer James Blake has released 7 studio albums, 6 extended plays, 28 singles and 13 music videos.
"Space Cadet" is a song by American record producer Metro Boomin featuring American rapper Gunna. It was sent to rhythmic contemporary radio through Boominati and Republic on January 29, 2019, as the second single of Metro's debut studio album, Not All Heroes Wear Capes (2018).
Cubeatz are a German hip hop production and songwriting duo from Hildrizhausen, consisting of twin brothers Kevin and Tim Gomringer. Originally embarking on their careers within German hip hop in 2008, they have since expanded and are now best known for their successful collaborations with international hip hop artists such as Drake, Future, Gucci Mane, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, and Travis Scott, among others. Cubeatz have specialized in creating melodies specifically for the purpose to be sampled by other producers to produce the final beat.
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.
Stella Rose Bennett, better known as Benee and formerly Bene, is a New Zealand singer and songwriter from Auckland. In both 2019 and 2020, she consecutively won Single of the Year, Best Solo Artist and Best Pop Artist at the New Zealand Music Awards. Benee initially gained local prominence with her singles "Glitter" and "Soaked", before her 2019 single "Supalonely" saw international popularity following its success on the video-sharing platforms TikTok and YouTube. Benee subsequently released her debut album, Hey U X, in November 2020.
"Check" is a song by American rapper Meek Mill from his second studio album, Dreams Worth More Than Money (2015). The song was produced by Metro Boomin and Southside, who served as co-writers with Mill. After Mill shared a preview on April 30, 2015, it was released as the album's lead single on June 1, through Maybach Music Group. A club number, it is reliant on three synth notes. In the lyrics of the song, Mill raps about heavy spending at nightclubs and his rise to the top.
"Creepin'" is a song by American record producer Metro Boomin, Canadian singer the Weeknd, and British-American rapper 21 Savage. It was sent to Italian contemporary hit radio through Republic Records and Boominati Worldwide as the lead and only single from Metro's second studio album, Heroes & Villains, on January 27, 2023. It is a remake of "I Don't Wanna Know" (2004) by Mario Winans featuring Enya and P. Diddy, which is based on a sample of the Fugees' song "Ready or Not" (1996), and itself samples Enya's "Boadicea" (1987). Winans himself returned to contribute to the song as a backing vocalist along with Travis Scott. Diddy himself would also join the artists on a remix of the song on March 17, 2023.
"Niagara Falls " is a song by American record producer Metro Boomin, American rapper Travis Scott, and British-American rapper 21 Savage, from Metro's second studio album Heroes & Villains (2022). It was written by the artists alongside Allen Ritter, My Best Friend Jacob, and Peter Lee Johnson, the latter three producing it with Metro.