Monsters (James Blunt song)

James Blunt's father Charles Blount was diagnosed with stage four chronic kidney disease.^[5] The disease is incurable without a transplant, and Blunt wrote the song when he realised that his father could soon die.^[6] In "Monsters", Blunt expressed his feelings about his father and his illness, almost as if the song is a farewell to his father".^[7] In an interview with Good Morning Britain, Blunt said:^[5]

Really that has been an amazing moment. Because when you realise your father's mortality it's a great opportunity to say the things I'd like to say to him. So I have written a song called Monsters for him.

In another interview, Blunt said:^[6]

In many ways, the song, the lyric, it speaks as if I was speaking the words that I might have said to my children as well. When my children talk about the monsters, that’s [what] I sing to my father. It’s my turn to chase the monsters away like he would have done once with me.

As Blunt's blood type was not a match for him to be a donor, in the Good Morning Britain interview, he made a plea for type O positive kidney donors to step forward.^[5] In January 2020, it was reported a kidney donor had been found and Blunt's father was scheduled for a transplant.^[8] The donor of the kidney was a cousin with the same name as his father, and the transplant was successful.^[9]

The music video was filmed in Oxfordshire, United Kingdom, and it was directed by Vaughan Arnell.^[10] The music video features James Blunt and his father Charles Blunt.^[7] The video focuses on a close up of James Blunt's face as he sings the first two verses and choruses of the song, and then switches to a wider angle showing himself and his father sitting at a table while he sings the final part.^[7] Throughout the video, Blunt is visibly emotional and tearful.

Australian television presenter Lisa Wilkinson said she was "left bawling" after watching the music video of the song.^[11] Monika Barton of Newshub wrote about the music video, "Go on, have a little watch and see if you have a heart, or merely just a sharp, pointy piece of flint where it should be".^[12]

Minnie Wright of the Daily Express wrote, "Heartbreaking perspective illuminates the place from which Blunt has penned the deeply personal Once Upon A Mind with the arrival of Monster".^[13] Lauren Murphy of Entertainment.ie wrote, "Before you watch this video, be warned that it's pretty tough going if you're feeling in any way emotionally fragile, or have lost a parent".^[14] Rudi Kinsella of Joe wrote, "This is one of the most emotional music videos we've seen in a very long time".^[15]