Blake and Music, 2025
Camila Oliveira (camila.querino@edu.ulisboa.pt) is a research fellow at the University of Lisbon. She holds a PhD in English literature from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and King’s College London on the translation of Blake’s Jerusalem into Portuguese and biblical intertextuality. She is currently working on Romanticism and music reception and writing a monograph on Blake and contemporary music.
In last year’s checklist, I warned of the growing phenomenon of AI-generated music and its impact on the reception of Blake’s life and work. After an overall increase in tracks of over 50% between 2023 and 2024, this trend continued in 2025, with a further 45% rise. A total of 433 pieces were listed in my initial draft, at least 240 of which appear to have been produced using artificial intelligence. Of more concern, however, than the scale of this growth is the lack of transparency in how such content is presented on music platforms.
At the time of the submission of this checklist, Spotify, Deezer, and Apple Music were the only major streaming platforms to provide any form of tagging for AI-generated music. This system relies almost entirely on labels and distributors voluntarily declaring such content, a practice that is far from consistent, not least because it works against their own interests. According to a recent study,Alberto Arenal et al., “Artificial Intelligence in the Music Streaming Value Chain: Exploring Artists’ and Users’ Perceptions on Content Creation and Algorithmic Consumption,” Telecommunications Policy, vol. 50, no. 2, 2026, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.telpol.2025.103129. AI-generated music helps platforms expand their catalogues dramatically, which creates even greater competition between them. Furthermore, it produces a vast amount of background music tailored to niches, such as ambient focus tracks and workout loops. This kind of content keeps users engaged for longer sessions, which is highly valuable for retention. Deezer published an alarming report“AI-Generated Tracks Now Represent 44% of All New Uploaded Music,” Deezer Newsroom, 20 Apr. 2026, https://newsroom-deezer.com/2026/04/ai-generated-tracks-represent-44-of-new-uploaded-music. on its website stating that AI-generated tracks already account for 44% of all newly uploaded music, a share that reflects how rapidly synthetic production is scaling relative to human output. To make matters worse, the same report notes that 97% of listeners are unable to distinguish between AI-generated and human-made music.
Indeed, it is not easy to separate the wheat from the chaff in a world where mainstream music has never been so generic, often devoid of the minute particulars so vital to Blake. Autotuned vocals, bland arrangements, synthesized instrument sounds, and paltry harmonies proliferate, representing a flattening of distinction under the pressure of economic imperatives. In such a scenario, where difference itself is attenuated, the task of identifying authorship becomes increasingly challenging.
Tricky as it is, there are nevertheless certain indicators that suggest a piece may be AI generated. These include the artwork used for an album cover, which often appears conspicuously artificial or generic, as well as the absence of information about a group’s lineup or any verifiable online presence. There are, of course, various signs, but, without proper tagging, none can determine with confidence whether a song is partially or entirely the product of artificial intelligence.
These issues transcend questions of authorship and transparency, raising fundamental concerns about market integrity. According to the aforementioned report, 80% of users of digital music platforms would like AI-generated music to be clearly identified, as it might influence their consumption decisions. This is somewhat reassuring in the face of rapid technological change, as it suggests that the human dimension remains central for the majority of listeners.
Mindful of the uncertainties surrounding AI-produced content, and also of space constraints, I have excluded from the final checklist all tracks that are either explicitly identified as AI generated or, on the basis of available indicators, strongly suspected of being so. I have nevertheless retained a few entries whose AI status is uncertain, and flagged them accordingly.
Following this disclaimer, I now turn to the settings themselves. It has been a prolific year for Blake’s reception, AI-generated music aside. “The Tyger” remains the most frequently set poem; among the versions are notable interpretations by Dan Dutton and Bronson Hill. For less frequently explored works, the Argentinian duo SHH stands out for a multimedia project based on the prophetic book Tiriel in collaboration with Esmeralda Muñoz Torero, as does the Brazilian group Verticitas, with excerpts from The Book of Urizen.
Several albums are entirely devoted to Blake, with Songs of Innocence and of Experience a favorite source for such projects. Among these, I would highlight the remastered III. Heathen and Heaven by {Blake}. Led by Gaël Romeuf, the group claims to have set all the poems from the collection to music, and intends to release the complete cycle by Blake’s bicentennial in 2027. Prior to this, only William Bolcom had fully accomplished such a task, while Allen Ginsberg came very close. The settings on III. Heathen and Heaven have a clear folk orientation, with touches of 1960s and 1970s psychedelia, and in their best moments evoke bands such as Comus and the Incredible String Band. Two albums have been released so far, with further releases expected in 2026 and 2027.
As in previous checklists, most of the entries are rooted in popular genres. Also within the folk domain, Paul Sprawl’s settings of “The Little Vagabond” and “A Poison Tree” are worthy of mention for their well-wrought melodies that fit Blake’s lyrics gracefully, just like the Lost Pilgrims’ “Oh! Sunflower.” A further notable work from popular genres is Marco Maurizi’s Journey to the Centre of the Progs, with a strongly melodic style reminiscent of ballads by (surprise, surprise!) prog bands such as Jethro Tull, particularly in the track “Of Pipes and Lambs.”
2025 has also been a fertile year for classical music. From established composers, such as Hugh Benham, to emerging names, like Tyler Kinnaman and Caleb Meyerhoff, there is a rich variety of Blake-inspired output. The settings range from more conventional art song, traditionally featuring voice and piano, to more experimental approaches that explore contemporary techniques and multilayered instrumental textures. Several pieces stand out for the originality of their engagement with Blake’s visual and poetic universe, including Bobby Ge’s Music of Innocence and Experience, which captures the tension and fluidity between the two contrary states, as the violin, viola, and cello constantly shift roles, emphasizing the contrasting dynamics of the instruments themselves. Elsewhere, distinctive musical responses to Blake’s imagery can be found in John Hawkins’s Blake Visions—inspired by Songs, Pity, and The Ghost of a Flea—and Susannah Self, who draws on Death on a Pale Horse in her piece. Lastly, the hybrid renditions by Ákos Banlaky of “Infant Joy” and “To Morning” are particularly compelling in their fusion of classical and popular elements. The pieces are part of a song-cycle project begun in 2023, combining contemporary chamber music with elements of pop and jazz.
On the topic of jazz, it is worth highlighting “The Fly” by the American group Sunny Side, which introduces a New Orleans-style swing that is especially suited to the spirit of the poem, as well as David Mitchell’s “Golgonooza,” a piece that merges shamanic music and jazz with excerpts from Jerusalem.
A considerable number of settings have been identified outside the Anglophone world. Although they are concentrated primarily in Europe, they are not restricted to the Old Continent. South America in particular shows a strong presence, with settings from Brazil, Colombia, and Argentina. Blake’s global reception is also evident in translations of his lyrics, with releases in Portuguese (Ben and Vincent; Verticitas) and Hungarian (Arcaans). As in previous years, I’ve included tracks that are not necessarily settings of Blake’s work, but ultimately tributes to him, such as Ancientworld’s “R.I.P. William Blake,” Anti-Famouz’s “William Blake,” and Ben Edge’s “Visions.”
Adrienne Pêcheuse — France
Earth’s Answer ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.Allen, David Len — USA
Little Lamb ; for choir (SATB), piano, and flute.Amedeo — Unknown
The Lamb ; for voice and piano.Ancientworld [Joseph Herman] — Unknown
From Ancientworld ; for voice and synthesizers.Anti-Famouz — USA
From Into the AntiVerse ; for voice and synthesizers.Arcaans [László Szatmáry] — Hungary
From Lacrimosa ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.Badizadegan, Nima — USA
The Lamb and The Tyger ; for choir (SATB).Banlaky, Ákos — Hungary/Austria
Infant Joy ; for voice, double bass, drums, and piano.Banlaky, Ákos — Hungary/Austria
To Morning ; for voice, double bass, drums, and piano.Bartlett, Byron — USA
Songs of Innocence and Experience ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Ben & Vincent — Germany
From Zoa ; for voice and synthesizers.Benham, Hugh — UK
From Songs for Times and Seasons ; for voice and piano.Bink Dusty [Bradley Johnson] — Unknown
From Acts of Absolution ; for voice and synthesizers.{Blake} [Gaël Romeuf] — France
III. Heathen and Heaven ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and violin.Classy Moon — Unknown
From Perennial Grace ; for piano.Cluff, Russell — Unknown
Little Lamb ; for voice and guitar.Cobb, Jeffrey — USA
Never Seek to Tell Thy Love ; for choir (SATB or TTBB) and piano.绵狐 [Cotton Fox] and Renaissance Innovative — China
From Autumn at Cold Mountain Reprise ; for voice, piano, and synthesizers.Dousis, George — Greece
The Tyger ; for choir (SATB).Dreamstate Device [Michael Menser] — USA
From Innocence Reborn ; for voice and synthesizers.Dr. Hong, PhD — Unknown
From The Critical Eye ; for synthesizers.Duluoz, Blair — USA
Holy Thursday ; for voice and guitar.Dutton, Dan — USA
From Songs of Experience ; for voice, guitar, bass, and cello.Eden Circus — Germany
From Irrlicht ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and synthesizers.Edge, Ben — UK
From Children of Albion ; for voice, guitar, and piano.Edwards, Jeremi W. — USA
The Glory Window: Stained and Spiralled—Six Choral Settings of William Blake ; for choir (SSAATTBB).Eno Gumbo — USA
Tyger Tyger ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Firelighters — France
From Quiver ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Fong, Joseph — USA
Little Lamb ; for choir (SATB).Franceschi, Luca — Italy
From Limone Tapes 2 ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Ge, Bobby — USA/China
Music of Innocence and Experience ; for string quartet.Goatlord — Brazil
From Sangue e Fogo ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Gogatronics — Colombia
Songs of Innocence ; for voice and synthesizers.Green-Mann, Andy — UK
Poison Tree ; for voice and synthesizers.Grundy, Christopher — USA
Two Songs of William Blake ; for choir.Gutiérrez, Sutja — Spain
From Asystole Flatline ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Hawkins, John — UK
Blake Visions ; for piano quartet.Hill, Bronson — Unknown
The Tyger ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Hokanson, Leah — Canada
From Diamond Chants Volume Three: There Is a Voice ; for voice and piano.Hutchings, James — Australia
Auguries of Innocence ; for voice and percussion.Ian — UK
The Angel ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Ian — UK
A Dream ; for voice and piano.Ian — UK
Holy Thursday ; for voice.Ian — UK
Infant Sorrow ; for voice.Ian — UK
The Land of Dreams ; for voice.Ian — UK
Prologue (to King Edward IV) ; for voice.In Fuse — Canada
William Blake Songs ; for voice, bass, saxophone, flute, keyboards, and drums.Jay Ram [Lennaert Koorman] — Netherlands
Laughing Song ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Jermey, Jon — Australia
Earth’s Answer ; for synthesizers.Katamonas — Germany
From Desperatus ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and synthesizers.Kinnaman, Tyler — USA
Ah! Sun-Flower ; for voice and piano.Kireya, Viktor — Russia
From Echoes in the Static ; for voice and synthesizers.Kyriakides, Jorge — Unknown
William Blake ; for synthesizers.Lange, Nathan R. — USA
The Lamb ; for choir and string quartet.Lehmann, Glyn — Australia
From As the Universe Expands ; for voice, piano, and oboe.The Lost Pilgrims — Norway/USA
From The Lost Pilgrims ; for voice and guitar.Lykourgiotis, Zena — Unknown
The Tyger ; for voice and piano.Maksakov, Aleksandr — Russia
Mad Song ; for voice, flute, guitar, bass, and drums.Maksakov, Aleksandr — Russia
A Poison Tree ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Maor, Hadar — Israel
From O-N-E ; for synthesizers and strings.Maskats, Arturs — Latvia
Song of Innocence ; for choir.Maurizi, Marco — Italy
From Journey to the Centre of the Progs ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.McAlister, James — USA
From Sovereign (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) ; for voice and guitar.Melanson, Carl — Canada
From Wandering Rocks ; for voice and guitar.The Memory Band — UK
From Trackways Ancient and Modern ; for synthesizers.Meyerhoff, Caleb — USA
Love Will Always Be Blind ; for voice and piano.Miserable Weekend — Canada
From We’re Just Like You ; for guitar, bass, drums, and synthesizers.Mitchell, David — Netherlands
From Turiyans ; for voice, guitar, bass, saxophone, and percussion.Muromachi, Yankel — UK
Steps of the Sun ; for voice, bass, guitar, piano, percussion, and synthesizers.Nikomarrros — Portugal
From Força de Espírito ; for synthesizers.O’Dell, Brenden — USA
How Sweet I Roam’d ; for voice and guitar.Paris Banlieue — France
From Dans des lieux ; for voice and guitar.Pax Aliena and Giulia Messina — Belgium
From Fractured Tongues ; for voice and synthesizers.Praetorian of Dorn — Unknown
From The Primarchs ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Project Bias — Netherlands
Mental Traveller ; for voice and synthesizers.Rain, David — Canada
The Lamb ; for choir.Rain, David — Canada
The Tyger ; for choir.Renaissance Music EDM — Unknown
From Whispers of the Scrolls ; for voice and synthesizers.Rogers, Fred, and Andy Bruhn — USA
The Lamb ; for choir and piano.Samna — Poland
From Wizja ; for voice and synthesizers.Self, Susannah — UK
Death on a Pale Horse ; for ensemble of three trumpets, horn, timpani, harp, and strings.Sextooth — USA
From Smoking Mirror ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.The Shaffer Media Project — Unknown
The Tyger ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.SHH [Diana Huarte and Daniel Gorostegui] — Argentina/UK
Tyriel ; for voice and synthesizers.Shrubbery Terror — Poland
Voices of William Blake ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.Sprawl, Paul — USA
The Little Vagabond ; for voice and guitar.Sprawl, Paul — USA
Poison Tree ; for voice and guitar.Sputter Box — USA
From Sputter [Shrinks the] Box ; for voice, clarinet, and percussion.Steadman, Robert — UK
The Lamb ; for choir (SATB).Stoeten, Henk — Netherlands
The Laughing Song ; for choir (SMATB).Strange, Jack — USA
Tyger ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Sunny Side — USA
From The Marigny Sessions ; for voice, bass, brass, and drums.SuperGlam — Belgium
From The Space Traveller ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.Symbolical — Poland
From Hope for Aeriste ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Szabo, Charles Elmer — USA
Cradle Song ; for voice and piano.Taki, Harawi — Unknown
The Poems of William Blake, Vol. 1 ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Taylor, Paul — UK
The Ecchoing Green ; for synthesizers.Telephone Rouge — Unknown
From Piante Parlanti ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards.The Transient Facility — Unknown
William Blake Sessions ; for voice, guitar, bass, and drums.Vagle, Torbjørn, and Oddrun Eikli — Norway
Ah! Sun-Flower ; for voice and synthesizers.Verticitas — Brazil
From Imperfeição ; for voice, bass, drums, and synthesizers.Vestobeats [Peter David Medley] — Unknown
Pills of Innocence and of Experience ; for voice and synthesizers.Volkova, Diana — Russia
From … Into the Blinding Silence ; for voice and guitar.Walker, Robert — Unknown
From Reason ; for voice, guitar, bass, drums, and synthesizers.Wilkinson, Paul — UK
Beam of Light ; for piano.Zero75 and DJ Arm — Italy
From L’ arcolaio ; for voice and synthesizers.