Who We Used to Be
| Who We Used to Be | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 27 October 2023 | |||
| Length | 31:01 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer |
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| James Blunt chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Who We Used to Be | ||||
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Who We Used to Be is the seventh studio album by English singer James Blunt, released on 27 October 2023 through Atlantic Records.[1] It was preceded by the release of three singles, including the lead single "Beside You".[2] It was released alongside Blunt's quasi-memoir Loosely Based on a Made-Up Story.[3]
Background
Blunt wrote the song "Dark Thought" about visiting his friend Carrie Fisher's house after she had died in 2016. The two met in England in 2003, and Blunt lived in Fisher's house in Los Angeles after he moved there to record Back to Bedlam (2004). Fisher had previously spoken about how she "became James's therapist".[4]
Singles
On 2 August 2023, Blunt released the single "Beside You". The official music video was released on 10 August 2023.[5] The single peaked at number 22 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart on 25 August 2023.[6]
The album's second single, "All The Love That I Ever Needed" was released on 22 September 2023.[7]
"The Girl That Never Was" was released as the album's third official single on 4 October 2023.[8] The official music video, released on 12 October 2023, was directed by Blunt's former collaborator Vaughan Arnell.[9] On 27 October 2023, Blunt performed the song on the BBC's The One Show. On writing the song, Blunt shared "I'm married. We had aspirations to start a family and...people in my situation have gone through that, you win some battles and you lose some [...] the ones that we have lost we struggle with a bit."[10]
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Financial Times |   [3] |
| I | [11] |
| Retropop | [12] |
Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of the Financial Times wrote that Blunt's "new songs slot neatly into the usual groove. They're efficiently assembled and easy on the ear. There are heartfelt clichés about life being like a carousel and tunes that press emotional buttons with military precision, all surging major chords and downcast minor ones".[3] Retropop commented that the tracks are "not all upbeat [...] and as Blunt declares his zest for life, he also navigates the challenges before him; aging, loss and the passing of time all play into the narrative that forms a complex picture of the performer, at the height of success, as he enters a new decade". The publication concluded that "there's no question it's one of his most confident offerings and, in terms of the songs themselves, his best in a long time".[12]
Chart performance
On 30 October 2023 the UK's Official Charts Company predicted Who We Used to Be would debut at number 5 on that week's album chart.[13]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Saving a Life" | 2:55 | |
| 2. | "Some Kind of Beautiful" | 2:58 | |
| 3. | "Beside You" | The Six | 3:05 |
| 4. | "Last Dance" | 2:48 | |
| 5. | "All the Love That I Ever Needed" |
| 3:17 |
| 6. | "The Girl That Never Was" | Red Triangle | 3:13 |
| 7. | "Cold Shoulder" | 3:08 | |
| 8. | "I Won't Die with You" | 3:04 | |
| 9. | "Dark Thought" | 3:43 | |
| 10. | "Glow" | 2:50 | |
| Total length: | 31:01 | ||
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Confetti and Roses" | 3:43 |
| 12. | "Care a Little Less" | 2:45 |
| 13. | "A Thousand Lives" | 3:10 |
| 14. | "When You're Gone" | 3:02 |
| Total length: | 43:41 | |
References
- ^ "James Blunt - Who We Used To Be (Deluxe)". Apple Music. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ Zemler, Emily (2 August 2022). "James Blunt Welcomes the Highs and the Lows on Breezy Single 'Beside You'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ a b c Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (25 October 2023). "James Blunt's heartfelt clichés are easy on the ear in Who We Used to Be – album review". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Stenzel, Wesley (23 October 2023). "James Blunt remembers his 'best friend' Carrie Fisher". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ "Beside You (Official video)". YouTube. 10 August 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "Official Singles Downloads Chart on 25/8/2023 - 31 August 2023 - 24 August 2023". Official Charts. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ Houghton, Cillea. "James Blunt Drops Nostalgic "All the Love That I Ever Needed"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "James Blunt drops latest single The Girl That Never Was". Retro Pop Magazine. 5 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ "The Girl That Never Was (Official video)". YouTube. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ Hallam, Katy (27 October 2023). "BBC The One Show viewers sobbing as James Blunt shares tragic reason for new song". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ Power, Ed (27 October 2023). "James Blunt, Who We Used to Be review: Give the posh troubadour the benefit of the doubt!". I. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
- ^ a b "James Blunt – Who We Used to Be". Retropop. 25 October 2023. Retrieved 26 October 2023.
- ^ Griffiths, George (30 October 2023). "Taylor Swift's 1989 (Taylor's Version) already has the biggest opening week of the year". Official Charts. Retrieved 31 October 2023.
