New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "James has showed himself to be a genre chameleon whose musical sensibilities are aligned to hip-hop and neo-soul as much as jazz… the singer has now embraced a contemporary R&B mode to convey a storytelling song cycle ruminating on the vicissitudes of love and life… Mainstream success beckons."—MOJO
José
James has released "Closer," the second single off his vibrant new album Love in a Time of Madness, which comes out February 24 and finds the singer reborn as a powerful voice in contemporary R&B. The album features production by Tario (Miguel, Flo Rida) and Likeminds (Pharoahe Monch, Anthony Hamilton), and guest vocal appearances by
Mali Music and Oleta Adams. Fans who pre-order Love in a Time of
Madness will receive the singles "
Closer" and "
Always There" right away.
Moviegoers next month will find
James making his screen debut with a performing role in the highly-anticipated sequel Fifty Shades Darker, which is set for release on February 10. He's also featured on the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack album performing "They Can't
Take That Away From Me."
James has also announced a U.S. tour that kicks off March 16 in Atlanta and includes shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on March 23 and Echo in Los Angeles on March 28. See below for a full list of tour dates and visit josejamesmusic.com for more information.
Even for an artist as creatively restless as James, Love in a Time of
Madness is something new: an R&B focused foray into moody soul, electronic pop, and trap-addled beats, with the occasional influence of African folk, American gospel and Minneapolitan funk. And though James' voice is no less agile and his ear no less adventurous, this is also his most relatable, daresay sexiest work yet, detailing love's ups and downs without holding back an ounce of emotion.
"Movement has been on my mind," says James. "Not just hearts and minds—I want people to hit the dance floor. I could make jazz albums the rest of my life, but I want to reach people, man. I like Jamie xx as much as I like Miles Davis, you know? "
Love in a Time of
Madness follows James' 2015 Billie Holiday tribute album Yesterday I Had the Blues and his rock infused 2014 album While You Were Sleeping. The New York Times wrote that James' 2013 breakthrough No Beginning No End "sounds like the result of the black-pop continuum, jazz and soul and hip-hop and R&B, slow-cooked for more than 50 years." NPR
Music noted that "James makes utterly contemporary music," adding that he "skirts categories with ease, fitting in with current R&B innovators like
Frank Ocean or Miguel" and "he holistically heals the rift between radio-friendly songcraft and virtuoso flair."
JOSÉ JAMES - U.S. TOUR DATES
3/16 - Center Stage - Atlanta, GA
3/17 - Motorco
Music Hall - Durham, NC
3/18 - U Street
Music Hall - Washington, DC
3/19 - The Foundry - Philadelphia, PA
3/22 - Brighton
Music Hall - Boston, MA
3/23 - Bowery Ballroom - New York, NY
3/25 - El Club - Detroit, MI
3/26 - SPACE - Evanston, IL
3/28 - Echo - Los Angeles, CA
3/29 - The Independent - San Francisco, CA
3/30 - Guild Theater - Sacramento, CA
3/31 - Doug Fir - Portland, OR
4/2 - Triple Door - Seattle, WA
