Don’t Call Him Your Sad Boy: James Blake’s Masculinity
What’s behind James Blake’s music is more than you may expect. His melancholic yet blissful sound has created a platform for Blake to discuss his music, and he certainly has a lot to say.
Written by Ariana Pleasure
Photo courtesy of The Atlantic
James Blake may be one of the most unique and original musicians of our time. He has been a producer for artists such as Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar while also working on critically acclaimed solo projects, making quite a name for himself since his start in the industry in 2009. He is known for his melancholy tone and lyrics that make us ponder on endless thoughts. But, be weary of how you characterize James Blake and his music. Characterizing him as just another “sad boy” would greatly understate his work and mislabel who he is.
Assume Form, his most recent album released on Jan. 19, is a statement on the various layers of Blake’s music, and it refutes the idea that “sad” is a comprehensive word to describe his work. This record reads as a love letter and is composed of lyrics and tones that create a sense of bliss, emulating the feeling of falling in love. Although his past albums have had traces of romance, they have been portrayed in subtler ways. The melancholic tone he is known for often overshadows the other themes in his work. In this album, however, he successfully strays from his signature sound.
This past year, Blake spoke out multiple times in regards to who he is as a musician and a man. In May of 2018, Blake released his single “Don’t Miss It,” which resulted in a lot of response from new and old fans. He quickly addressed the term “sad boy” in a tweet and did not hold back:
In this tweet, Blake opened up to his audience about his disapproval of the term. This sparked an even bigger discussion about how people and the media put a certain facade on masculinity regarding male musicians. People responded negatively to Drake’s more sensitive lyrics regarding women, and his vulnerability became somewhat of a joke. Blake got the same response, but instead of jokes, he was continuously labeled as a “sad boy,” a subtly toxic term that perpetuates an unhealthy view of what a “normal” boy would be. It is 2019 and young boys are still being misguided to believe that they shouldn’t show emotion and care. Even well-intentioned jokes only help encourage such negative ideals, affecting the men who see them
Masculinity is a becoming a more and more important topic in pop culture and politics. In the context of the #MeToo movement, people are becoming more aware that pushing negative stereotypes on men can encourage aggression, and the solution is to have more truthful conversations about what it means to be a man. Music has always been an outlet through which musicians can use their creativity to speak on pressing social issues. Therefore, learning to handle such sensitive topics properly in music and other creative platforms can help inspire positive changes in our realities?
Blake has also recently been more open about his depression and anxiety, a topic we don’t often hear about from male artists. At the annual symposium of the Performing Arts Medicine Association in 2018, he provided a great deal of insight on how he felt during the toughest moments he’s had since the start of his career.
Photo courtesy of All Music
Jumping to conclusions about Blake’s poetic descriptions of his darker and lighter moments furthers the idea that masculinity is confined to a small box with no flexibility. Blake refuses to accept this restriction. Why write off his emotions when singular labels can’t even begin to describe what he creates? Blake is a model for men in the world that have been told that sharing their feelings and being vulnerable somehow makes them less than a man. Through his music and public statements, Blake works to combat harmful stereotypes that perpetuate harm in society.