Detroit alt-pop artist Blair embraces her past, present, and future selves in “Late to the Party,” an exhilarating and empowering song about rejecting expectations, trusting yourself, and playing to win the long game.
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Stream: “Late to the Party” – Blair
She’s wild, she’s free, and she’s right on time.
Detroit singer/songwriter Blair Blackwell embraces her present place in “Late to the Party,” an intimate and exhilarating indie pop fever dream. Society will always have ‘rules’ and ‘expectations’ for how we should live our lives or where we should ‘be’ at in our careers – and that’s fine – but it’s incumbent upon us to do all we can to tune out that noise, no matter how loud it gets.
“I may be late to the party, but I’d rather be late than sorry,” Blackwell sings in a defiant, emotionally charged chorus, her voice full of unapologetic passion. “Please stop tryna rush me.” We’ll never be too late to the party if the party doesn’t start ‘til we get there – but even more to the point, there’s no such thing as “too late” if you’re having the time of your life along the way.
After all, the journey is the destination, and that’s exactly what Blackwell – who records mononymously as ‘Blair’ – concludes in this churning, heated two-and-a-half minute reckoning.
A b*ch is 28
Tell me am I late?
All my friends are buying houses
I just paid my rent with my last
Hope this cereal last
Should I pay these got damn bills
or have some fun?
I heard you can’t take it
when it’s said and done
I really gotta stop
comparin’ and stressin’
Ain’t have a baby with my ex
it’s a blessing
“This song – and where I am in life right now – is a reflection of the culmination of my twenties,” Blackwell tells Atwood Magazine. “‘Late to the Party’ is essentially my diary, capturing every thought and pressure leading up to this moment. As an artist, getting older comes with its own set of societal expectations, like the idea that I should have ‘made it’ by now. But every chapter in my life has taught me that I was exactly where I needed to be.”
“There’s nothing worse than arriving early – unprepared and unable to fully handle what’s ahead. Everything that seemed ‘late’ at the time ended up being right on time. This song is for the late bloomers and anyone who feels like there’s an expiration date on artistry. Art doesn’t die – it deepens. The wiser you get, the more access you have to richer, more meaningful experiences.”
Blair’s chorus is cathartic climax, as well as a forceful rebuttal to all the anxieties she expresses in the verses:
I may be late to the party
But I’d rather be late than sorry
So please stop tryna rush me
Getting old living young, wild, and free
I may be late to the party
But I’d rather be late than sorry
So please stop tryna rush me
Getting old living young, wild, and free
Art doesn’t die – it deepens. The wiser you get, the more access you have to richer, more meaningful experiences.
“Late to the Party” is the third single taken off Blair’s forthcoming EP Freaky Tuesday, a genre-bending and -blending project set to release in Spring 2025.
For Blackwell, this song is both a reflective review of the path she’s carved for herself to date, and a candid look forward at all that’s still ahead of her. She sings from a place of empowerment and strength, owning who she is and all that she’s done to get to become that special person, while humbly recognizing that it’s just a point in time; that there’s so much more to her than any one song, or any one moment, could ever possibly express or fully capture.
“At 29, I’m toasting to my growth and everything yet to come,” she smiles. “My connection with myself has never been stronger, and that has made my music better. Sonically, I no longer give a f* about what I am ‘supposed to’ sound like as a Black woman, I follow what feels right. We are often put into boxes and it’s not fair – we can do any and everything and though genres are exciting and can drive the vision, they shouldn’t be restraining. I’ve learned to trust myself while staying open with my kickass team I’m creating with.”
“I’m becoming fluid in all bends and perspectives of rock and alternative and feel at home there, encouraging others to explore the places that intimidate them and never let anyone tell them otherwise. That’s what I want my music to do, break people out of whatever jail or mold they may be trying to escape. ‘Late to the Party’ and this entire EP are born from that freedom.”
What you mean figured out?
I really just got here
Only been a f*ing grownup for 8 years
Let me to be just like you?
Sad to come home just like you?
And If I’m late then I’m late
Leave me alone
Maybe I’m okay being a f*ing lone
Flyer says 8, be there by 10
It don’t get fun ‘til I say when, ‘cause
That’s what I want my music to do, break people out of whatever jail or mold they may be trying to escape. ‘Late to the Party’ and this entire EP are born from that freedom.
No, she’s not “Late to the Party,” and neither are we.
Blair’s latest release reminds us all to focus on ourselves rather than others; to be the authors of our own narratives, and to follow our hearts and pursue our passions unencumbered and unrestrained. Don’t let anyone or anything keep you from being who you want to be and doing what you want to do.
And I, for one, can’t think of a more inspiring message than that.
I may be late to the party
But I’d rather be late than sorry
So please stop tryna rush me
Getting old living young, wild, and free
I may be late to the party
But I’d rather be late than sorry
So please stop tryna rush me
Getting old living young, wild, and free
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