Blonde

Originating from Bristol in England, the deep house production duo Blonde first drew notice for their upbeat electronic house rhythms and high-energy dancefloor anthems. Producers Adam Englefield and Jacob Manson launched the project after Manson, during his time at Leeds University, started experimenting with electronic sounds. A friend encouraged him to forward one track to the official YouTube channel of Eton Messy, the house label founded by Englefield. Exchanges between the two soon followed as they compared influences and discovered a shared interest in house music’s expanding revival. Collaboration began shortly afterward, leading directly to Blonde’s formation when Manson delivered a remix of Englefield’s “Now or Never,” each still working under earlier aliases—Englefield as Beluga and Manson as Thieves. Summer 2013 brought the duo’s debut track, “It’s You,” which surfaced on the Eton Messy channel; online interest prompted their first official single, “Foolish,” issued through Parlophone Records the following May. Greater visibility arrived late in 2014 with “I Loved You,” a cut granted steady rotation by BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac and Greg James before it climbed to number seven on the U.K. Singles Chart. Additional singles continued to attract praise, and 2016 saw the duo reach number four with “All Cried Out,” featuring vocals from Glee actor Alex Newell. Further momentum came that year through a partnership with singer/songwriter Craig David on “Nothing Like This.” They also joined Sigala to earn a writing credit on “Don’t Need No Money” for London-based house vocalist Imani Williams. Their 2017 single “Just for One Night” included Norway’s Astrid S.