The piano is a keystone element of James Blake’s sound, and that part of his music is apparently something he wants to focus on more in this new decade. Today, Blake took to social media to talk about his relationship with the piano and to share a cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed.”
Blake shared the video on Instagram and wrote, “New decades resolution was to spend more time at my instrument than at a laptop. So here’s a cover I play of a song I helped write – Godspeed by Frank Ocean. I think I messed up a lyric near the beginning but hey, none of these are gonna be perfect.” He also shared the post on Twitter and wrote, “Played a song for you lot. New decades resolution is to spend more time at the piano than the laptop… for my own sanity. If people like it I’ll do more x”
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B7RG-vDnoqT/
Played a song for you lot.
New decades resolution is to spend more time at the piano than the laptop… for my own sanity
If people like it I’ll do more x
— James Blake (@jamesblake) January 13, 2020
The video runs a bit shy of three minutes, and it simply shows Blake at the piano, performing the song (the original version of which appears on Ocean’s 2016 album Blonde). If Blake sounds comfortable playing the track, that might be partially because he had a hand in bringing it to life, as he said. Although he is not credited as a songwriter on the track, he is listed as one of its producers and arrangers.
Watch Blake cover Ocean’s “Godspeed” above.
