James Blake Doesn’t Love Where Things Are Headed On His Pessimistic New Single ‘Like The End’

Last month, James Blake released a new song called “Like The End,” but it was only made available via Vault, a subscription platform he helped launch earlier this year. Now, though, he has given the track a wider traditional release.

The song sees Blake disenchanted with the state of the world. He opens the track, “As I separate my cardboard / Set my tax aside to fund another war / My spirit wakes up asking / If we’re spending what we can’t afford.” He later sings on the chorus, “But doesn’t it feel like the end? / Something’s coming for us / And maybe we’re not prepared / That this might only be day one / But doesn’t it feel like the end? / Something’s coming for us / I think we’re not prepared / That this might only be day one.”

Blake hasn’t announced a new album, but if this is the first taste of one, it would be the latest in a productive stretch for Blake. He just released his latest solo album, Playing Robots Into Heaven, in September 2023. Then, he followed it with Bad Cameo, a collaborative album with Lil Yachty that came out in June. He also produced some tracks on Erick Arc Elliott’s album I’ve Never Been Here Before from earlier this year.

Listen to “Like The End” above.