James Blunt on media led backlash, Twitter and being called a One Hit Wonder

You’ll probably have heard of James Blunt. And if you haven’t, you’ve almost definitely heard his most famous song, You’re Beautiful. There was a time in the early 2000s that it was EVERYWHERE. And that’s because James Blunt was absolutely huge. His debut 2004 album, Back To Bedlam, was the biggest-selling album of the decade in the UK, shifting over 12 million copies. I know!! TWELVE MILLION. He has released another six albums since then, every one of them a top 10 hit, winning two BRIT Awards and two Ivor Novellos along the way. But James faced an astonishing cultural backlash for his ubiquity - eventually choosing to fight back in his own words on Twitter, where he rapidly became known for his acerbic put-downs and self-deprecating humour. He joins me to talk about the ‘honour’ of being a ‘one-hit wonder’, his rejection by every single major record label and his failure to win any Grammys, despite being nominated for five in one night. We also talk about his friendship with the late Carrie Fisher, whether he bears a grudge against any of the musicians who slagged him off (looking at you, Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher), the absurdity of fame and - in a moving exchange - the male experience of miscarriage. At points, his humour was so dry it took me a couple of seconds to realise he’d made a joke. Listening back, I can confirm I find him utterly hilarious. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 Introduction 01:28 Military Background and Music Career 10:22 Overcoming Rejection and Finding Success 16:54 Dealing with Backlash and Bullying 18:02 Friendship with Ed Sheeran 21:14 Miscarriage and Songwriting 25:25 GRAMMY Nominations and Losses 28:28 Musician Feuds and Criticisms 32:29 Life with Carrie Fisher 37:57 The Story Behind 'You're Beautiful' 46:19 Reflections on Success and Ibiza 👋 Follow How To Fail & Elizabeth: Instagram: @elizabday TikTok: @howtofailpod Podcast Instagram: @howtofailpod Website: www.elizabethday.org Elizabeth and James answer YOUR questions in our subscriber series, Failing with Friends. Join our community of subscribers here: https://howtofail.supportingcast.fm/#... Have a failure you’re trying to work through for Elizabeth to discuss? Click here to get in touch: howtofailpod.com