Review of Sam Smith's "The Thrill of It All"
November 3rd, 2017 is the date that the English singer Sam Smith’s sophomore album was released, a couple of years after his debut album, In the Lonely Hour. The first single off the album is “Too Good at Goodbyes”, a track that is saturated with personal emotions as he sings every note, led by a piano in the background. The emotional intensity of this track closely resembles that of the entire album. Many of the songs off the album deal with themes of personal growth through his experiences and emotions.
“Burning” is one of the most raw and emotional songs on the album. It is comprised of hauntingly beautiful lyrics as Smith reminisces on his failed relationship, and clearly would do anything to return to that “blissful” state. He surveys the damage left behind by his ex lover but he assesses his hypothetical responses and his deepest desires.
“No Peace (feat. YEBBA)” is a very emotional track, one that resonates with intense passion and emotion when it comes to feeling hopeless after an emotional experience with a partner, as his vocals were accompanied with a fellow singer named YEBBA. Their voices work well together.
From songs such as “HIM” to “Pray”, each song has a purpose that correlates with Smith himself. He targets his sexuality and religion. Smith specifically references to his partner with “him” which is a bold statement by the openly gay singer. “HIM” has praying to the “Holy Father” to let him love whoever he wants to love. Many take this song as a coming out song, however, he was out before The Thrill of It All was released. In an NME interview, Smith revealed that the song is a coming out letter from a son to his father.
In “Midnight Train”, he chooses to take the route of self-love over a lover. This comes off as a new theme for him as in his previous album, he was more centered on being left by a lover. However, songs like “Say It First” offer a more optimistic tone amidst the sea of sadness and heartbreak. In the song, Smith asks his lover to utter the specific words that signal that he is in it for the “long run”. In “Baby, You Make Me Crazy”, he sings about how he plans to move on from someone when they leave him. He makes an allusion to his previous album as the title track of the album is a direct message to how he “regrets telling the world that he was with them”, as stated in an interview with New Zealander Zane Lowe. He also states that the new album is less centralized on himself and is instead more focused on relationships with others.
This album has been called the “one of the best pop albums” of 2017. Clearly this album exemplifies self growth and maturity and it is demonstrated in his lyrics in songs such as “Midnight Train”, however it also demonstrates his raw human side, and this is seen in songs such as “Burning” and “No Peace”. The album features different snapshots of the time he spent writing and producing the album and journals his experiences. These songs offer a stark contrast to the other half of the album. Overall, this song demonstrates his personal trek to the person he is today. This album is most definitely one of the best albums released in 2017, and I would recommend it to anyone.