James Blake – “Mile High” (Feat. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin)
James Blake’s highly anticipated new album Assume Form is out tomorrow, and besides last year’s “Don’t Miss It,” he hasn’t shared any of the music ahead of time. That changes now. Just 12 hours before the rest of the album is set to drop, Blake has released “Mile High,” the album’s second song.
As described in our Premature Evaluation, one of the defining features of Assume Form is Blake’s decision to let a whole slew of his famous collaborators come flooding into the solitary space that has traditionally defined his albums. That’s rarely clearer than on “Mile High,” which features additional production work from trap maestro Metro Boomin and vocals from Travis Scott, who featured Blake on his own single “Stop Trying To Be God” last year.
Scott’s is the first voice on the track, and between the moody sonics and dissected trap beat, it could easily pass for a product of the Astroworld sessions. Eventually Blake arrives to duet with Scott, their distinct vocals complementing each other gorgeously. It’s not exactly a harbinger of Assume Form, which rarely leans quite so hard in a hip-hop direction, but it’s certainly one of many highlights.
Listen below.
Assume Form is out 1/18 via Republic/Polydor.