At Lola Young’s sold-out gig at the Palladium last week, she took the time to give a shout-out to one particular guest. “I see we have a very special person in the audience,” she told the crowd. “He’s new in my life. His name is James Blake. Sorry, James, I know you hate me. He’s a genius.”
The moment summed up Blake’s appeal perfectly: your favourite artist’s favourite artist. Although given everything he’s had on, it’s a miracle he had the time to attend somebody else’s gig at all. Not only has he moved back to the UK after a decade in Los Angeles, but he has also been educating himself on the details of the music industry, driving change on artists’ rights and collaborating with everyone from London artist Dave to Lil Yachty.
