 Blur is the eponymous fifth studio album by the English rock band Blur , released on 10 February 1997 by Food Records . Blur had previously been broadly critical of American popular culture and their previous albums had become associated with the Britpop movement , particularly Parklife ( 1994 ) , which had helped them become one of Britain 's leading pop acts . After their previous album , The Great Escape , the band faced media backlash and relationships between the members became strained . 
