
James Blunt, the 38-year-old U.K. singer-songwriter best known for his smash single “You’re Beautiful,” has revealed that he is taking a break from music, and has no future songwriting plans.
“I just want to take some time out for myself,” Blunt told the Daily Mail at the Barbarella nightclub in Fulham, West London. Blunt’s most recent album, “Some Kind of Trouble,” was released in 2010, and was supported with a lengthy tour that stopped by North America in spring 2011.
For the time being, however, Blunt is enjoying his time away from music. “I haven’t got any plans to do more songwriting,” he says. “I have been chilling since I finished my world tour and I’ve spent a lot of time in Ibiza where I have a villa.”
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After serving in the British armed services for six years, Blunt turned to songwriting and scored a massive hit with “You’re Beautiful,” a single off of his 2004 debut “Back To Bedlam.” The song topped the U.S. Hot 100 for one week in March 2006 has sold 3 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, while “Bedlam” has moved 2.8 million units. Blunt was nominated for Best New Artist at the 2007 Grammy Awards, but lost out to Carrie Underwood.
Blunt released two more albums following “Back To Bedlam,” but failed to release another single as ubiquitous as “You’re Beautiful.” His “Some Kind of Trouble” album has sold 93,000 copies since its 2010 release according to Nielsen SoundScan, while its lead single, “Stay The Night,” peaked at No. 94 on the U.S. Hot 100 and has sold 114,000 downloads.