Singer Sam Smith has partnered on some stunning love—and broken-love—songs. Below are six, including one you might not expect from me—a racy, campy non-ballad (always on my workout playlist).
I. “Lay Me Down” (2015)
The 2013 original video of Smith’s solo version, filmed in London, was controversial at the time for its depiction of a gay marriage performed in a church.
…Can I lay by your side?
Next to you, you
And make sure you’re alright
I’ll take care of you
I don’t want to be here if I can’t be with you tonight…
The later-recorded duet with John Legend:
II. “Party of One” (2018)
Brandi Carlile recorded this alone as well as with Sam Smith. Their duet was a source of charitable funds for Children in Conflict, an organization that helps children affected by war.
“This is a song about deep and enduring compassion. It’s about trying to navigate domesticity, love and particularly marriage whilst being willed to fail by those that would revoke that right if they could,” stated Carlile (SongFacts).
While researching this post I was surprised to learn that the lyric is your right statements and not your I-statements, which the therapist in me had always heard.
III. “Stay with Me” (2014)
The addition of Mary J. Blige after Smith had already recorded this alone gave it a more soulful gospel feel.
IV. “Love Goes” (2020)
Featuring Labrinth, this song was released on a same-titled album. By this time Sam Smith had started to identify and accept themself as genderqueer. (Smith uses they/them pronouns.)
“Both musically and lyrically, this song is stunning,” states Maddy Yardumium, Scripps Voice. “It makes the whopping 4:45 time stamp fly by, captivating its listener in the great beauty and ache that comes from heartbreak and the reminder that love can go or fade but never fully ends.”
V. “Who We Love” (2023)
This duet with Ed Sheeran as described by Tailem.com: “…a heartfelt declaration of love’s power, championing its ability to transcend societal expectations and personal fears…It’s an affirming declaration that the connections we forge with others, regardless of their nature or duration, are valid and beautiful, and that love is a journey of self-discovery, not an obstacle to overcome.”
VI. “Unholy” (2023)
Smith recorded this “brooding dance hit with devilish imagery” (American Songwriter), involving a husband cheating on his wife, with Kim Petras. According to Wikipedia, their hit “made Petras the first openly transgender woman in history to have a number-one song on the chart, and Smith the first openly non-binary person to do so.”
