This song finds James Blake at his most self-depreciating as he sings of accepting his place in the universe. I'm okay with the life of the sunflower And I'm okay with the life of a meteor shower So, say what you will Go on, say what you will Having put on his social blinkers, Blake no longer compares himself with others. He told Apple Music: "'Say What You Will' is about finding peace with who you are and what you are regardless of how other people seem to be doing."
Blake co-wrote and co-produced the song with Dominic Maker of the electronic music duo Mount Kimbie. The pair first worked together when Blake featured on Mount Kimbie's 2017 single "We Go Home Together." Maker then co-produced nine of the tracks on Blake's 2019 album Assume Form. Josh Stadlen and the singer's girlfriend, Jameela Jamil, also get credited as co-producers.
Blake first unveiled the track to fans in one of his several intimate livestream performances on Instagram Live in April 2020. He released "Say What You Will" as the lead single from Friends That Break Your Heart on July 22, 2021. "It's my favorite song I've written in a long time," Blake said. "I love singing it, and I love the new direction. To me this more a Leonard Cohen-style song - there's a lyrical focus to it."
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