Grammy-winning producer, songwriter and musician James Blake has racked up his highest-charting album to date in the UK with Trying Times. Released on 13 March via his independent label Good Boy Records, the 13-track album debuted at number three in the UK Official Albums Chart, with over 12,000 sales in its first week, marking a career-peaking best for Blake. The record is also currently number one in the Independent Albums Chart.

“Trying Times”, Blake's seventh studio album, which is executive produced by his partner Jameela Jamil, is his first major release since departing from Republic Records to work independently with Good Boy Records, which brings together Virgin Music Group (distribution and global strategy) and Stellar Music (digital marketing), with all partners – including Blake – jointly funding the album and sharing in its revenues.

​​The album features the singles "Death Of Love" and "I Had A Dream She Took My Hand". Blake, a critically acclaimed musician, won the prestigious Mercury Prize in 2013 for his album Overgrown. He has been nominated for several Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap Melodic Performance for his work on "King's Dead" by American rapper Jay Rock, which also featured Kendrick Lamar and Future. The musician is a sought-after producer and collaborator, who has worked with major artists including Beyonce (Lemonade), Frank Ocean (Blonde), Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Travis Scott and Bon Iver.