James Blake’s new album Friends That Will Break Your Heart kicks off with the dramatic “Famous Last Words,” and now Blake has given the track an appropriately cinematic video. In the clip, he wakes up battered and bruised in a hospital before he heads out on a surreal journey.
Jameela Jamil, who made plenty of contributions to the new album, offered some praise for Blake’s acting in the video, sharing a cheeky (but censored) still from an unused shot and tweeting, “James’ performance in this video makes me feel like he might have to come for my job. He’s so good. This song is so good. He also has a really great bum.”
James’ performance in this video makes me feel like he might have to come for my job. He’s so good. This song is so good. He also has a really great bum. @jamesblake https://t.co/Hp9Z4525tX pic.twitter.com/EEVBkbUEPn
— Jameela Jamil
(@jameelajamil) November 3, 2021
Blake previously told Apple Music of the song, “I don’t agonize over tracklisting. I think it’s like a DJ set, and a DJ set needs its peaks and troughs and moments of reflection. I spend so long writing the actual song and producing the song, by the time it comes to sequencing the tracklist, I’m like, ‘Oh god, just put it in an order, man.’ This isn’t a love song. But it is kind of a love song. It’s kind of a breakup song. It’s weird. I think it blurs the line between friendship and romance. With friendships, it’s not necessarily that the feelings are romantic, but you can genuinely love someone and it hurt like that.”
Watch the “Famous Last Words” video above.
Friends That Will Break Your Heart is out now via Republic Records. Get it here.