Sam Smith is back at it again, leaving us to marvel over the sudden release of his sophomore album, The Thrill of It All. A collection of beautiful belts and ballads, Smith never disappoints with his jaw-dropping vocal capacities and unique ability to turn any emotion into a universally relatable bop. You’re going to want to buckle in and break out the tissues for this one, because similar to his last album- it’s all about heartbreak. However, if you, a perpetually single human, like myself, find that it’s often difficult to relate when it comes to this type of music- fear not! There are a surprising number of non-love related tracks that you’ll fall head over heels for…
Too Good At Goodbyes
-"I'm never gonna let you close to me / Even though you mean the most to me / 'Cause every time I open up, it hurts"
The album opens up with “Too Good At Goodbyes”, which was his opening lead single and remains arguably the most popular track from the release thus far. Emotional and heartfelt, he sets the tone that remains consistent throughout the entire album. As one could gather from the title, this song is about going through a breakup, and becoming used to, and almost good, at dealing with heartbreak. Going through the motions time and time again, it gets easier, or so he says.
One Last Song
- “When it was good, it was bittersweet, honey / You made me sad ‘til I loved the shade of blue”
This one throws it back to Smith’s old lover that made his first album, In The Lonely Hour, a possibility. A bit more upbeat than the rest, “One Last Song” sends a little message to his ex-boyfriend. The lyrics run deep and hit hard, but give a realistic portrayal of what it’s like to move on, and the song proves to be a newfound remedy for getting the heck over heartbreak.
Midnight Train
- “So I pick up the pieces / I get on the midnight train / I got my reasons / But darling I can't explain”
An inner monologue of Smith’s while he battles with emotions after breaking up with his boyfriend, listeners are sure to relate to the messy moments displayed in this track. The song tells the tale of one who knows that deep-down, the butterfly-inducing, pace-quickening love they once felt is fading. And this time around, it’s more painful than ever, as he makes mention of the relationship he built up with the lover’s family, the complicated reasoning behind his decision to call it off, and the adverse emotions that lay on the other side of the equation.
HIM
- "Holy Father, we need to talk / I have a secret, that I can’t keep / I’m not the boy that, you thought you wanted / Please don’t get angry, have faith in me"
My personal favorite, “Him”, is a powerful ballad filled with Smith’s deep and velvety notes as he recounts his experience coming out to his father. Personal indeed, he manages to ever-so eloquently portray this challenging chapter of his life in a three-minute-long track. It tugs on the heart-strings and hits close to home for many of his fans, who were surely all awaiting a song like this to complete his album ( me ). Sam Smith- the gay icon none of us knew we needed.
No Peace (ft. Yebba)
- “You held my heart in your fingertips / So now I drown in my bitterness / Oh, I can’t get no sleep / And I sure won’t, I sure won’t find no peace”
Not about a relationship, as explained by Smith, himself, this song is about suffering in the quietness of your own mind. Isolated and alone, Smith struggled figuring out how to handle an onset of such sudden fame, as well as getting over the breakup he so iconically wrote an entire album about. The heart-wrenching pain in his voice is all-too-clear, and the lyrics are of those that anyone can relate to. Not being able to sleep, wallowing in the overwhelming misery that floods your brain- we’ve all been there.
Palace
- “I’m gonna miss you / I'm still there / Sometimes I wish we never built this palace / But real love is never a waste of time, oh"
This song targets all of the long-term relationships, summer flings, and head-spinning love affairs that Smith has ever been a part of. He goes on to write about the stark differences between actual love and meaningless hookups, and how although you sometimes regret both, “real love is never a waste of time.”