James Blunt at 50: Still Singing, Still Laughing, Still Relevant

By Kevin Rademeyer, Prescience Media – SunBet Arena, Pretoria

When James Blunt steps on stage at SunBet Arena in Pretoria, the crowd knows exactly what they’re in for – charm, humour, and those songs that once dominated radios and playlists across the globe. Yet behind the wit and the self-deprecating jabs, there’s a deeper story about why South Africa has become such a special place in Blunt’s career.

“I’ve been coming here for years,” he says backstage, still riding the energy from soundcheck. “There’s something about the South African audience – it’s warm, it’s real, it’s connected. That’s why I keep coming back.”

Blunt first performed in South Africa in the mid-2000s, when Back to Bedlam was still fresh and You’re Beautiful was unavoidable. He remembers those shows vividly. “The reaction here was unlike anywhere else. People didn’t just sing along – they roared every lyric back at me. For someone who was still figuring out fame, it meant the world.”

Two decades and seven albums later, he is still filling arenas, though he admits the journey has been anything but smooth. His privileged background, Harrow and Sandhurst before serving as an officer in the Life Guards, made him an easy target when he first emerged. Critics sharpened their knives, and fellow musicians often mocked him. “The backlash was brutal,” he says with a grin that suggests old wounds have long since healed. “But you know what? I’m still here. Still singing, still playing, still loving it. That’s the best answer.”

Blunt has built a reputation not only as a songwriter but also as one of social media’s sharpest wits. His X (formerly Twitter) comebacks are legendary. “It gave me a voice to say, ‘I’m not the guy you think I am,’” he says. “And if my wife or manager wince when I show them a tweet, then I know it’s ready to send.”

But beneath the humour lies a more earnest performer. Asked how he measures his music today, Blunt pauses. “Paul Simon is a genius. I don’t think I am. But I know I can hold a note, I know I can capture an emotion. You’re Beautiful did that. Back to Bedlam did that. It sold more copies than any other album in the UK in the 2000s. Even Paul McCartney once told me it was solid – and I’ll take that.”

His shows in South Africa are not just about nostalgia, though. Fans come for the classics but leave with a taste of the newer songs, proof that Blunt isn’t standing still. Offstage, he remains the storyteller he’s always been, his anecdotes spilling out with equal parts absurdity and heart – tales involving Ed Sheeran, Bear Grylls, and even a nightclub he built in his Ibiza back garden.

Now 50, married with two children, Blunt is reflective yet unchanged. “People ask if I’ve grown up,” he laughs. “Not really. I still say yes to most things. Life’s too short for no.”

As he prepares for another night under the Pretoria lights, it’s clear why he keeps returning. South Africa has been part of his story from the start – a place where his songs found a second home, and where audiences still meet him with the same roar he remembers from all those years ago.