Retrograde (James Blake song)

"Retrograde"
Single by James Blake
from the album Overgrown
Released	11 February 2013
Recorded	2012
Genre	Soul[1] electronic[1]
Length	3:43
Label	Polydor
Songwriter(s)	James Blake
Producer(s)	James Blake
James Blake singles chronology
"A Case of You" (2011) "Retrograde" (2013) "Overgrown" (2013)

"Retrograde" is a song by English electronic music producer and singer-songwriter James Blake. The song was released as a digital download on 11 February 2013 as the lead single from his second studio album Overgrown (2013). The song was written, produced and recorded by Blake,^[2] and the music video was directed by Martin de Thurah.^[3]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (2013)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[4]	56
Denmark (Tracklisten)[5]	10
Japan (Japan Hot 100)[6]	99
UK Singles (OCC)[7]	87

Year-end charts

Chart (2013)	Position
Australia Streaming Tracks (ARIA)[8]	67

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[9]	Gold	35,000^‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[10]	Silver	200,000^‡
Streaming
Denmark (IFPI Danmark)[11]	Gold	900,000^†
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. ^† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom[12]	11 February 2013	Digital download	Polydor Records

In pop culture

The song is featured in several episodes of television shows, including: the extended trailer for season one of The Leftovers, as well as in the pilot episode;^[13] the 5th season of The Blacklist; season 1, episode 2 of the Italian Netflix series Baby; episode 1 of the series Rush; season 3, episode 6 of the series Suits;^[14] and the episode "Falling Angels – Part 1" of the BBC series Silent Witness.^[15]

The song also appears in the fifth episode of the video game Tales from the Borderlands.^[16]

Covers

It was covered by Australian singer Karen Lee Andrews in her 2014 single, Ride, under her former stage name, Ms Murphy.

References

1. Bradley, Larry (4 November 2014). "The 2010s: James Blake - "Retrograde". The Alternative Jukebox. Cassell. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-84403-789-6.
2. "Why James Blake's Overgrown deserved the Mercury Prize". www.gigwise.com.
3. "James Blake 'Retrograde'". YouTube. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
4. "ARIA Top 100 Singles – Week Commencing 22nd April 2013" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. 1208. Australian Recording Industry Association. 22 April 2013. p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 May 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2023 – via Trove.
5. "James Blake – Retrograde". Tracklisten.
6. "Billboard Japan Hot 100 [ 2013/04/24 公開]". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved 6 March 2025.
7. "James Blake: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
8. "ARIA Australian Top Streaming Tracks 2013" (PDF). The ARIA Report. No. End of Year 2013. Australian Recording Industry Association. p. 15. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 5 June 2023 – via Trove.
9. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2016 Singles" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
10. "British single certifications – James Blake – Retrograde". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
11. "Danish single certifications – James Blake – Retrograde". IFPI Danmark. Retrieved 27 November 2022.
12. "Retrograde - Single by James Blake". iTunes Store (United Kingdom). 11 February 2013. Archived from the original on 30 April 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
13. Stahler, Kelsea. "'The Leftovers' Trailer Song Is Haunting Because James Blake's Music Is Perfect For The Show". Bustle.
14. "Series, Suits Episode 6". tunefind.
15. "Series 18, Falling Angels Episode 1 of 2". BBC.
16. Hamilton, Kirk. "Tales From The Borderlands's Perfect Music Picks Made The Whole Game Better". Kotaku.