At the start of 2020, James Blake kicked off what has turned into a regular flow of cover songs with a rendition of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed,” a song on which he is credited as a producer and arranger. He wrote at the time, “New decades resolution was to spend more time at my instrument than at a laptop. So here’s a cover I play of a song I helped write – Godspeed by Frank Ocean. I think I messed up a lyric near the beginning but hey, none of these are gonna be perfect.” Now he has brought the journey full-circle with his visit to The Tonight Show yesterday, when he again performed the song.
His original performance of the song was a simple home recording, but he upped the production value for his new Jimmy Fallon rendition. This time, he took to a piano in a lush, naturally lit outdoor space.
Aside from all the covers, Blake is fresh off the release of an unexpected new EP, Before, which he announced in October and released the next day. Ty Dolla Sign also recently revealed that he and Blake have an unreleased project.
Watch Blake perform “Godspeed” on Fallon above.
Ty Dolla Sign is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.