English singer/songwriter James Blunt wasted no time setting the record straight for a music critic who claimed Blunt's music "appeals to no one."
As a reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, Blunt served among 30,000 NATO troops during the 1999 Kosovo War.
In 2004, after leaving the military, Blunt achieved worldwide recognition after releasing his debut album Back to Bedlam, which spawned the hit singles "You're Beautiful" and "Goodbye My Lover."
Recently at George Mason University's student-run radio station WGMU, a host began a thread discussing all the music they heard in 2023 "with a little blurb on my overall thoughts!"
The list of 100 artists in no particular order included the likes of Drake, Coldplay, Rihanna, and James Blunt.
And the host, Twitter user @Br0wn__, didn't have flattering words for Blunt.
They said:
"Back to Bedlam-James Blunt"
"Who is this for?"
"It’s too simple and safe for music fans, but too progressive (at the time) for an audience like minivan moms."
"It rides the middle and thus appeals to no one. Music itself isn’t terrible."
\u201cBack to Bedlam - James Blunt\n\nWho is this for? It\u2019s too simple and safe for music fans, but too progressive (at the time) for an audience like minivan moms. It rides the middle and thus appeals to no one. Music itself isn\u2019t terrible\n\n54/100\u201d— M+ | Br0wn (@M+ | Br0wn) 1677270854
Blunt immediately shut down the radio host with a fact.
"Appeals to no one, but was the biggest selling album of the decade."
\u201cAppeals to no one, but was the biggest selling album of the decade.\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
According to the UK Albums chart, Back to Bedlam was considered one of the best albums of the 2000s in the UK.
And another fun fact: Blunt recorded the album in Los Angeles in 2003 while lodging with late actress Carrie Fisher, who helped him come up with the album's name.
The song "Goodbye My Lover" was recorded in Fisher's bathroom.
The biggest single from the album, "You're Beautiful," reached number one both in the UK and in the US.
After Blunt pretty much said, "I'm just gonna leave this here," fans praised his clapback and also complimented his music.
\u201c@JamesBlunt I love this album! Love it, and have owned a copy since it\u2019s release. Proof. \ud83d\ude02\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udfbc\ud83c\udfb9\ud83d\ude0e\ud83d\udcf83/1/23\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@tamyrausa @JamesBlunt It's a brilliant album\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@JamesBlunt With Damien Rice\u2019s \u2018O\u2019 Back to Bedlam was the other stand out album of that time period for me. Nice work Mr B.\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@JamesBlunt One of a very few albums with a real songwriter at the helm. Would also like to add there\u2019s a few songs on this album that I still feel today.\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@JamesBlunt \ud83d\udc4f this was and will always be the music that reaches my heart @ejobipatrick you did lots to introduce me to this music till now it flows \ud83d\ude03\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@JamesBlunt I don\u2019t care what anybody says, but for me, JB has a collection of the greatest songs that will transcend generations. I know almost all his lyrics (for a guy that has terrible memorizing skills) and consider myself lucky to have seen him play live! Haters can hate!\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@JamesBlunt One of those albums I listened to and was hooked on from the first time I heard it. Still one of my favourite albums.\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
Fans also critiqued the "pretentious" radio host with their own unfavorable reviews.
\u201c@JamesBlunt Oh whoa another pretentious music critic telling who is / was good . Jesus the music was off the time and people listened it it whether it was you cold play or oasis . Music is what you make . Even I\u2019ve got a brand new combine harvester is a decent song if you listen to enough\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
\u201c@JamesBlunt The sneering at \u201cminivan moms\u201d as if all musical taste falls out with the placenta\u201d— James Blunt (@James Blunt) 1677621345
In a March 2008 interview with the Independent, Blunt touched on the criticism he's received versus his commercial success in the industry.
"I think I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me in some way," he said at the time.
"But I just have to let it brush off me because, in the end, it's not really relevant."
"For me, the truth comes from the people who come to the shows and sing the words to the songs back to me."
"It's a great thrill when people say to me that a song of mine describes perfectly how they are feeling."
"It's not something I expected to happen."
Blunt, who continues to tour, released his sixth studio album, Once Upon a Mind, in 2019.
On June 26, 2020, he released a deluxe version of the album, the Time Suspended Edition, which featured two new demo songs and six acoustic tracks.
