Arzen Rose Dulzura

James Blake drops ‘Trying Times’ album, calls it his ‘favorite record’ to date

Article (news)

Push Team

<p>Grammy Award-winning singer James Blake released <em>Trying Times</em> as his seventh studio album last March 13, 2026.</p><p>James is known for his blend of soul, electronica, hip-hop, and alternative R&amp;B. Across six studio albums, his catalog has amassed over 2.2 billion streams, including the critically acclaimed album <em>Assume Form</em> and his highest-charting release, &quot;Friends That Break Your Heart.&quot;</p><p>The artist has also built a reputation as a sought-after collaborator, having worked with artists such as Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, SZA, Kendrick Lamar, and Travis Scott on several acclaimed projects.</p><iframe class="instagram-media" id="instagram-embed-6" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DV0k1tPgl7T/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A2240139.6000000015%2C%22ls%22%3A167566.80000000447%2C%22le%22%3A167763.3999999985%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="0" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-6" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px;min-width:326px;padding:0px;position:absolute"></iframe><blockquote class=" instagram-media-registered" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/DV0k1tPgl7T/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" id="instagram-media-payload-6" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DV0k1tPgl7T/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="background:#FFFFFF;line-height:0;padding:0 0;text-align:center;text-decoration:none;width:100%" target="_blank"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"><br/></div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:block;height:50px;margin:0 auto 12px;width:50px"><br/></div><div style="padding-top:8px"><div style="color:#3897f0;line-height:18px">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding:12.5% 0"><br/></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;margin-bottom:14px;align-items:center"><div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(0px) translateY(7px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;height:12.5px;transform:rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px);width:12.5px;flex-grow:0;margin-right:14px;margin-left:2px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;height:12.5px;width:12.5px;transform:translateX(9px) translateY(-18px)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:8px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:20px;width:20px"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:2px solid transparent;border-left:6px solid #f4f4f4;border-bottom:2px solid transparent;transform:translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"><br/></div></div><div style="margin-left:auto"><div style="width:0px;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-right:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(16px)"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;flex-grow:0;height:12px;width:16px;transform:translateY(-4px)"><br/></div><div style="width:0;height:0;border-top:8px solid #F4F4F4;border-left:8px solid transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"><br/></div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"><br/></div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"><br/></div></div></a><div style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DV0k1tPgl7T/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by James Blake (@jamesblake)</a></div></div></blockquote><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Posting on Instagram, he wrote, “Trying Times is out now. This is my favourite record I’ve ever made.” He also expressed his gratitude to the people who made the album possible. Fans also sent their reactions to the album.</p><p>“As the world keeps spiraling into chaos and darkness, James continues releasing music like he’s fighting a quiet battle to keep the universe in balance. Keep fighting James!”</p><p>“Thanks again for making me dance, cry, laugh and think about a lot of stuff. Trying times is really a precious present you people gave us🙏🏻🤍”</p><p><em>Trying Times</em> has 13 songs, including &quot;Death Of Love&quot; and &quot;I Had A Dream She Took My Hand,” which centers on navigating love and identity amid uncertainty. Throughout the record, James explores the tension between personal experiences and broader societal struggles, reflecting a growing theme in his recent work that blends introspection with commentary on collective emotional states.</p><p>The singer also reveals that this album is about love in a time of chaos. “I was struggling to reconcile what it feels like to be someone with their own experience with their own life—their love, their friends, their passions, their depression, their whatever it is that you’re going through at the time—with the collective anguish and the collective experience that’s going on in the world,” he shared with Apple Music.</p><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DV0uZOUgnZE/embed/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=768&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A1802611.8000000045%2C%22ls%22%3A167566.80000000447%2C%22le%22%3A167763.3999999985%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="847" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><p>Alongside the album release, James also announced his upcoming European tour, set to begin in September and run through October, with stops in over nine cities, including a performance at London’s O2 Academy Brixton. The tour follows his previously announced North American run, which includes sold-out shows at Brooklyn Paramount in New York and HISTORY in Toronto.</p><p><em>Trying Times</em> is now available on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.</p><div><br/></div><div><em>—By Jhezierae Alcantara, PUSH ABS-CBN Intern</em></div>

<p>James Blake's new album contains 13 tracks.</p>

James Blake's new album contains 13 tracks.