A New Era After Prior Emotional Ballads
Sam Smith’s newest album “Gloria” sparks a new era of confidence and empowerment.
By Ariella Just Milender
Sam Smith’s newest album “Gloria” sparks a new era of confidence and empowerment.
By Ariella Just Milender
On Jan. 27, Sam Smith released their fourth album, “Gloria,” nearly two years after their previous album, “Love Goes” came out. Amassing millions of fans, Smith has been historically known for their ballads about love, heartbreak and finding themself. Within their newest album, Smith found confidence, sexual empowerment and spiritual liberation, lending itself to an incredible track list with deep meaning.
Released on September 22, 2022, “Unholy,” featuring Kim Petras, took the music industry by storm, going viral and debuting at Number 3 on the Oct. 8 Billboard Hot 100 and most recently, winning the Grammy award in the best pop duo and group performance category. The song features fiery lyrics, encompassing the story of a relationship in which a man is cheating on his wife. The act of cheating is dubbed “unholy,” as the song title suggests, due to the wife not knowing of her husband’s actions. Compared to their previous music, I felt like this song was the catalyst for Smith’s new era as an artist. They beautifully executed the song with such power, helping to rally excitement as the album’s release date crept closer and even after the release on Jan 27.
One of my favorite songs on the album, “How to Cry,” was a total 360-degree turn from the power of the previous track, “Unholy.” Primarily featuring acoustic guitar backing, I felt that this song paid respects to Smith’s prior emotional ballads. Described as a love letter to Smith, at its roots is a very emotional story about a relationship they were in, but also shows how they believe being an emotional person is such a strong characteristic. The stripped vocals of Smith definitely made the emotion in their voice come out, lending itself to provoking emotions in the listener. I absolutely love songs where you can hear emotion through every single lyric, which I feel is why this song struck a chord with me.
Ending the album, “Who We Love,” featuring Ed Sheeran, was centered around the phrase, “We love who we love.” With lyrics such as “Holding hands in the street/No need to be discreet/Finally feelin' free” and “Cause we love who we love/So let go/You don't know better than your heart knows” the song seems to depict a love story where both people are starting to let go and be who they are within their relationship without worrying about judgment. Smith said the song, sent to them by Sheeran “felt like it was a queer ballad anthem written from a friend,” once again expressing the message of letting go and being truly authentic in who you are. Between both Sheeran and Smith’s vocals and Smith’s gentle power, the song was not only the perfect way to wrap up the album but also sent a very important message that people should be able to love who they love without fear of judgment because “It’s not a feeling you can run from.”
Overall, I absolutely loved “Gloria” and the shift from prior releases of Smith. Their vocals were absolutely on point and supplied power that brought out their true confidence and identity. Each song told its own story differently, not only mixing it up for listeners but also how the stories were expressed. For anyone looking for a unique album that provides deep vocal power and emotional backing, I’d highly recommend this album.
“Gloria” is out now on all music streaming platforms and in stores.
Released on September 22, 2022, “Unholy,” featuring Kim Petras, took the music industry by storm, going viral and debuting at Number 3 on the Oct. 8 Billboard Hot 100 and most recently, winning the Grammy award in the best pop duo and group performance category. The song features fiery lyrics, encompassing the story of a relationship in which a man is cheating on his wife. The act of cheating is dubbed “unholy,” as the song title suggests, due to the wife not knowing of her husband’s actions. Compared to their previous music, I felt like this song was the catalyst for Smith’s new era as an artist. They beautifully executed the song with such power, helping to rally excitement as the album’s release date crept closer and even after the release on Jan 27.
One of my favorite songs on the album, “How to Cry,” was a total 360-degree turn from the power of the previous track, “Unholy.” Primarily featuring acoustic guitar backing, I felt that this song paid respects to Smith’s prior emotional ballads. Described as a love letter to Smith, at its roots is a very emotional story about a relationship they were in, but also shows how they believe being an emotional person is such a strong characteristic. The stripped vocals of Smith definitely made the emotion in their voice come out, lending itself to provoking emotions in the listener. I absolutely love songs where you can hear emotion through every single lyric, which I feel is why this song struck a chord with me.
Ending the album, “Who We Love,” featuring Ed Sheeran, was centered around the phrase, “We love who we love.” With lyrics such as “Holding hands in the street/No need to be discreet/Finally feelin' free” and “Cause we love who we love/So let go/You don't know better than your heart knows” the song seems to depict a love story where both people are starting to let go and be who they are within their relationship without worrying about judgment. Smith said the song, sent to them by Sheeran “felt like it was a queer ballad anthem written from a friend,” once again expressing the message of letting go and being truly authentic in who you are. Between both Sheeran and Smith’s vocals and Smith’s gentle power, the song was not only the perfect way to wrap up the album but also sent a very important message that people should be able to love who they love without fear of judgment because “It’s not a feeling you can run from.”
Overall, I absolutely loved “Gloria” and the shift from prior releases of Smith. Their vocals were absolutely on point and supplied power that brought out their true confidence and identity. Each song told its own story differently, not only mixing it up for listeners but also how the stories were expressed. For anyone looking for a unique album that provides deep vocal power and emotional backing, I’d highly recommend this album.
“Gloria” is out now on all music streaming platforms and in stores.