Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY®, BRIT, Golden Globe and Oscar winning artist/songwriter Sam Smith will release Gloria, their fourth studio album, on January 27, 2023 via Capitol Records. Made with longtime collaborators Jimmy Napes, Stargate and Max Martin stablemate ILYA, Gloria is not only a creative revelation but something of a personal revolution for the celebrated artist. Lyrically, the subjects dive deep and wide, into contemporary narratives around sex, lies, passion, self-expression and imperfection.
Sam Smith says, “It feels like emotional, sexual and spiritual liberation. It was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again. Oddly, it feels like my first-ever record. And it feels like a coming of age.”
Recorded in Jamaica, Los Angeles and London, Gloria is the dazzling, sumptuous, sophisticated, unexpected and at times thrilling, edgy sound of Sam’s creative heart today. The sound of constricting shackles crashing to the floor, of boundaries joyfully breached, of a still-searching talent discovering what it means to be truly free.
The album is now available for pre-order HERE. Fans who pre-order the digital edition of Gloria will instantly receive the chart-topping lead single, “Unholy” ft. Kim Petras plus “Love Me More.”
Since its release last month, “Unholy” has become a global smash, amassing over 300 million combined global streams. The single has already captured the No. 1 spot on three Billboard charts – Global 200, Streaming Songs and Digital Song Sales – and topped the U.S. Shazam chart. “Unholy” has spent three consecutive weeks at No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart, marking Sam’s eighth song to top the tally. The track also hit No. 1 worldwide on Apple Music and Spotify. Within the first 24 hours of release, the song ranked among the Top 10 Spotify debuts of all time. “Unholy” gave Universal Music Group its biggest streaming debut of 2022. TikTok creations are averaging 100,000 daily.
The official video for “Unholy” follows a john who ducks out on his wife and sneaks off to his favorite sex club cabaret, only to find his guilty pleasures revealed in a very public manner. It was directed by Floria Sigismondi (The Runaways film, David Bowie, Christina Aguilera) and choreographed by French dance collective (LA)HORDE. Look for cameos by Gottmik and Violet Chachki from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and porn star Paddy O’Brian. Watch “Unholy” HERE.
Billboard observed, “‘Unholy’…not only unites two of the most prominent artists in the past decade of queer pop music, but does so without sonic reservation…a grinding, amorous new single.” Rolling Stone said, “Girls, gays, theys: this one is for you.” V Magazine praised the track as “blazing, wild, feral.” NYLON noted, “Sam Smith and Kim Petras’ hedonistic club banger is finally here – and it is criminally catchy.”
Gloria builds on the 35 million adjusted album sales, 250 million single sales and the 45 billion career streams Sam has amassed with the global success of their previous three studio albums, In the Lonely Hour, The Thrill of It All and Love Goes.
A four-time GRAMMY® winner, Sam also holds two Guinness World Records – for the most consecutive weeks in the U.K .Top 10 Album Chart (for their 2014 debut, In The Lonely Hour) and for having the first James Bond Theme to reach No.1 on the U.K. charts (for the Oscar and Golden Globe winning “Writing’s on the Wall”). With the release of Gloria in January and an exciting live plot in motion, it’s going to be an undeniable 2023 for Sam.
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Photo: Michael Bailey Gates
