There's a reason James Blake is hip hop's secret weapon, with songwriting and production credits for household names like Beyoncé, Travis Scott, Kendrick Lamar, and Jay-Z: he is simply unbelievably talented.
Blake contributed production and songwriting to three songs on Frank Ocean's critically acclaimed Blonde, one which being the contemplative fan favourite "Godspeed." After casually covering the song on Instagram back in January, fans begged for the musician to release a studio version on streaming services.
Blake listened and now the fans are getting exactly what they asked for. "Godspeed" has arrived in its entirety on all streaming services, retaining the stripped-down feel of the original Instagram post. The production is almost non-existent, with piano chords ringing out sporadically that underscore Blake's emotive voice.
The single is Blake's third one-off solo release of the year, following "Are You Even Real?" and April's "You're Too Precious." He has kept busy during lockdown, covering everything from Nirvana's "Come As You Are" to Billie Eilish's "When the Party's Over." He hasn't slowed his output in hip hop either, contributing production to Jay Electronica's A Written Testimony and last month's Flatbush Zombies single "Afterlife." With new music steadily arriving and a collaborative album with Flatbush Zombies in the works, could it be that he's gearing up for something big?
Listen to "Godspeed" below and let us know what you think.
