Sam Smith, a pop singer from England, started his career with his first single titled “Stay With Me” from his debut album, In The Lonely Hour. Smith’s career skyrocketed from there by reaching No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and earning him four Grammys in 2015. Smith’s career has reached new heights, making many people believe that he is the male version of Adele.
The Thrill Of It All was released on Nov. 3 and in less than two weeks has earned him his first No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 album chart. The album sold 237,000 copies in its first week of release making, this Smith’s career high of sales.
The anticipation for this album started with his lead single, “Too Good at Goodbyes” which was released back in Sept. It reached No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and making it Smith’s highest debut in the US and his second song to top the Digital Songs chart after “Stay with Me” in 2014. This was definitely a fan favorite from the album because of its similarity to “Stay With Me.”
“One Last Song” is personally my favorite song from the album. The originality of this song is much different than what we’re used to from Sam Smith. Smith is known for his sad and melancholic songs about heartbreak. While, this song is about heartbreak, its upbeat tone is not like Smith. “One Last Song” shows that Smith can be versatile with his music and not just produce slow jams.
Not all Sam Smith song are about heartbreak like his new hit “Pray.” After spending five days in Iraq with the charity War Child, Smith’s life was changed. He told Billboard, “I spent five days in Mosul and came back embarrassed that I had known so little about the world and other people’s lives.” Smith wrote this song to show that he didn’t just write love songs, but that people need to open their eyes to see what’s going on in the rest of the world, which is not always pretty.
Sam Smith has come a long way since when he released “Stay With Me.” The twenty-five year old has gone through many challenges in life dealing with weight loss and his sexuality. Smith might write a lot songs about love, but he’s evolving with new more impactful lyrics that people should really listen to.
