Mile High (song) explained

Mile High
Cover:Mile High thumbnail.jpg
Type:single
Artist:James Blake featuring Travis Scott and Metro Boomin
Album:Assume Form
Released:17 January 2019
Genre:Trap
Length:3:13
Label:Polydor
Producer:
Chronology:James Blake
Prev Title:Don't Miss It
Prev Year:2018
Next Title:Lullaby for My Insomniac
Next Year:2019

"Mile High" is a song by written and performed English singer-songwriter and electronic music producer James Blake featuring American rapper and singer Travis Scott and American record producer Metro Boomin, released on 17 January 2019 through Polydor Records as the second single from the former's fourth studio album, Assume Form (2019). It was produced by Blake and Metro alongside Dan Foat, Dre Moon, and Wavy.[1]

Musically, "Mile High" is a trap track which features influences from each artist's musical style. Following the track's premiere on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show as that day's "World Record", the track was met with positive reviews from music critics, with most praising the three artists' chemistry.

In 2020, New Zealand singer Benee covered the song for Australian youth broadcaster Triple J's segment Like a Version.

Background and recording

In an interview with Zane Lowe of Beats 1, James Blake revealed that the song was created during a recording session that was not initially meant to have anything to do with the album Assume Form. He was listening to Travis Scott singing over Metro Boomin's beat when, impressed, he asked to sing over it.[2] [3] He hailed Scott as "exceptionally talented at melodies" in an interview with Apple Music[4] and also told Dazed that he was impressed at Scott's musical range, saying "he'd just released Astroworld, which is like banger after banger, and then he comes and does this really vulnerable, sweet love song."[5] Blake also praised Metro Boomin, saying "the beat is a huge part of why that track feels the way it does."

Composition

"Mile High" has been described as "a slow-burning soul trap banger" with "the signature Travis Scott bass hits and murky, rainy-weather James Blake mood."[6] Rolling Stone noted that the track features "more of Blake’s DNA than his collaborators’", adding that the track "is an exercise in restraint."[7] Conversely, Spin described it as "a quieter, dispassionate version of [...] most Travis Scott music."[8] MTV noted that Scott "and his blunt rhymes [...] are balanced by Blake's gentle crooning."[9] Vocally, the two artists' vocals range from a deep tone to a falsetto.[10]

Release and reception

The song was released just twelve hours prior to the release of Assume Form through Polydor Records.[11] [12] It premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 show, where Lowe reportedly played the song three times over and said "James Blake, you’ve done it again."[13]

"Mile High" was met with positive reviews from music critics, most praising the three artists' chemistry. Consequence of Sound deemed it the best track of the week, writing that it "proves that Scott can fit in on more than just his signature bangers, with an almost comforting delivery that’s more inviting than assertive."[14] Stereogum gave it the same accolade, noting that "There’s a stuttering sample of something — a flute maybe? — that echoes like a birdcall through a rainforest. It’s lovely." Raisa Bruner featured it on Times "5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week" list, calling it "a love song [...] but also a flex — not just in terms of lyrical content, but also in terms of just how understated Blake can be."[15] Robert Marshall of Hypebeast hailed the track as " perfect marriage of the trio’s distinct sounds, while also proving Blake’s sonic progression."[16] Ben Devlin of MusicOMH echoed these views, writing that "it shows remarkable chemistry."[17]

Music video

A music video for "Mile High" was released on 3 February 2019, just hours before Scott's performance at the Super Bowl LIII halftime show,[18] and had previously been teased on Blake's social media.[19] It was directed by Nabil and is set at and filmed in the Mile High Cafe in Idyllwild, California.[20] The visual has been compared by Rolling Stone and HotNewHipHop to the "sunken place" scene in the 2017 horror film Get Out.[21] [22] The video begins with Blake sitting in the Mile High Cafe with a cup of tea before Scott bangs on the cafe's window to gain his attention. Scott then sits down at Blake's table and discusses the colour of the sky and the idea of not owning a cell phone. While stirring his tea, Blake drifts off to a dark dreamworld inside his mind and begins to perform the song with Scott. Meanwhile, Scott tries to regain Blake's attention in the real world.[23]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Peak
position
Lithuania (AGATA)[24] 54
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[25] 9
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[26] 9

Year-end charts

Chart (2019)! scope="col"
Position
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs (Billboard)[27] 43

Benee version

On 31 January 2020, New Zealand singer Benee featured on Australian youth broadcaster Triple J's segment Like a Version, where she performed a cover of the song, in addition to a performance of "Glitter".[28] [29]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Assume Form / James Blake. Tidal. https://web.archive.org/web/20190119121047/https://listen.tidal.com/album/102220802. 19 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  2. Web site: Five takeaways from James Blake's 'Assume Form'. Martin. Felicity. 18 January 2019. Dummy Mag. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20190121200921/https://www.dummymag.com/features/five-takeaways-james-blake-assume-form/. 21 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  3. Web site: James Blake Reflects On Crafting Bangers With Travis Scott & Metro Boomin. Findlay. Mitch. 17 January 2019. HotNewHipHop. https://web.archive.org/web/20190121202926/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/james-blake-reflects-on-crafting-bangers-with-travis-scott-and-metro-boomin-news.69687.html. 21 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  4. Web site: Assume Form - Album by James Blake. iTunes Store. 18 January 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190118083718/https://itunes.apple.com/album/assume-form/1447513857. 18 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  5. Web site: How James Blake loosened up and learned to speak his mind. Cliff. Aimee. 17 January 2019. Dazed. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20190117195937/https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/42940/1/james-blake-assume-form-travis-scott-andre-3000-rosalia-interview. 17 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  6. Web site: James Blake Flies A 'Mile High' With Travis Scott And Metro Boomin. Williams. Aaron. 17 January 2019. Uproxx. https://web.archive.org/web/20190118022342/https://uproxx.com/music/james-blake-mile-high-travis-scott-metro-boomin/. 18 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  7. James Blake Recruits Travis Scott, Metro Boomin for 'Mile High'. Klinkenberg. Brendan. 17 January 2019. Rolling Stone. en-US. https://web.archive.org/web/20190121202415/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/james-blake-travis-scott-metro-boomin-mile-high-780626/. 21 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  8. Web site: James Blake - "Mile High" (ft. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin). Daramola. Israel. 17 January 2019. Spin. https://web.archive.org/web/20190118063825/https://www.spin.com/2019/01/james-blake-mile-high-travis-scott-metro-boomin/. 18 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  9. Web site: Travis Scott Raps About An 'Ass Fatter Than A Peach' On James Blake's New Song. Roth. Madeline. 17 January 2019. MTV. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20190118050415/http://www.mtv.com/news/3109891/james-blake-mile-high-travis-scott-metro-boomin/. 18 January 2019. dead. 21 January 2019.
  10. Web site: The 5 Best Songs Of The Week. 18 January 2019. Stereogum. https://web.archive.org/web/20190119015404/https://www.stereogum.com/2029191/the-5-best-songs-of-the-week-271/franchises/the-5-best-songs-of-the-week/. 19 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  11. Web site: James Blake - "Mile High" (Feat. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin). 17 January 2019. Stereogum. https://web.archive.org/web/20190117212648/https://www.stereogum.com/2028891/james-blake-travis-scott-metro-boomin-mile-high/music/. 17 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  12. Web site: Mile High (feat. Metro Boomin & Travis Scott) - Single. 17 January 2019. iTunes Store. https://web.archive.org/web/20190117185820/https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mile-high-feat-metro-boomin-travis-scott-single/1448900352?i=1448900353,1448900353. 17 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  13. James Blake Enlists Travis Scott & Metro Boomin for Hypnotic Song 'Mile High': Listen. Armstrong. Megan. 17 January 2019. Billboard. https://web.archive.org/web/20190117235513/https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/8493982/james-blake-mile-high-travis-scott-metro-boomin. 17 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  14. Web site: Song of the Week: James Blake Invites Us in on "Mile High" with Travis Scott. Dzubay. Laura. Dountz. Brad. 18 January 2019. Consequence of Sound. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20190118232814/https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/01/song-of-the-week-james-blake-mile-high/. 18 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019. Reed. Parker.
  15. 5 Songs You Need to Listen to This Week. Bruner. Raisa. 18 January 2019. Time. en. https://web.archive.org/web/20190119063905/http://time.com/5507144/5-songs-you-need-to-listen-to-this-week-70/. 19 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  16. Web site: James Blake Drops Travis Scott & Metro Boomin-Assisted "Mile High" Single. Marshall. Robert. 17 January 2019. Hypebeast. https://web.archive.org/web/20190121210405/https://hypebeast.com/2019/1/james-blake-mile-high-travis-scott-metro-boomin-single-assume-form. 21 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  17. Web site: James Blake – Assume Form. Devlin. Ben. 20 January 2019. MusicOMH. en-GB. https://web.archive.org/web/20190121211402/https://www.musicomh.com/reviews/james-blake-assume-form. 21 January 2019. live. 21 January 2019.
  18. Web site: James Blake and Travis Scott share video for "Mile High": Watch. Young. Alex. 3 February 2019. Consequence of Sound. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203204237/https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/02/james-blake-travis-scott-mile-high-video/. 3 February 2019. live. 3 February 2019.
  19. Web site: James Blake and Travis Scott Connect in a Cafe for "Mile High" Video. Josephs. Brian. 3 February 2019. Complex. 3 February 2019.
  20. Web site: James Blake - "Mile High" (Feat. Travis Scott & Metro Boomin) Video. DeVille. Chris. 3 February 2019. Stereogum. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203185750/https://www.stereogum.com/2029535/james-blake-mile-high-travis-scott-metro-boomin/video/. 3 February 2019. live. 3 February 2019.
  21. See James Blake, Travis Scott Float in the Underworld in 'Mile High' Video. Kaplan. Ilana. 3 February 2019. Rolling Stone. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203203342/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/james-blake-travis-scott-mile-high-video-789316/. 3 February 2019. live. 3 February 2019.
  22. Web site: James Blake & Travis Scott Dive Into The Sunken Place In "Mile High" Video. 3 February 2019. HotNewHipHop. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203203512/https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/james-blake-and-travis-scott-dive-into-the-sunken-place-in-mile-high-video-new-video.44977.html. 3 February 2019. live. 3 February 2019.
  23. Web site: James Blake And Travis Scott Lose Touch With Reality In Their 'Mile High' Video. Rossignol. Derrick. 3 February 2019. Uproxx. https://web.archive.org/web/20190203205157/https://uproxx.com/music/james-blake-travis-scott-mile-high-video/. 3 February 2019. live. 3 February 2019.
  24. Web site: Savaitės klausomiausi (TOP 100). Lithuanian. AGATA. 25 January 2019. 4 December 2019.
  25. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 28 January 2019. 25 January 2019.
  26. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker – Vecka 4, 25 januari 2019. Sverigetopplistan. 26 January 2019.
  27. Hot Dance/Electronic Songs – Year-End 2019. Billboard. 6 December 2019.
  28. Web site: Benee takes on James Blake for Triple J's Like a Version . . 31 January 2020 . 25 March 2022 . English, Laura . https://web.archive.org/web/20200930052210/https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/benee-takes-on-james-blake-for-triple-j-like-a-version/ . 30 September 2020 . live.
  29. Web site: Watch: BENEE cover James Blake's "Mile High" + perform "Glitter" live for Triple J . Coup Demain Magazine . 31 January 2020 . 25 March 2022 . Riddell, Rose . https://web.archive.org/web/20200206223828/https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/benee/16317 . 6 February 2020 . live.

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