REVIEW: Sam Smith- The Thrill of it All

Hi Guys!

So, after much anticipation, thanks to him teasing clips on Instagram followed by an announcement, Sam Smith released his second album, The Thrill of it All. We had a hint of what his new stuff would sound like, when I reviewed his comeback and Too Good at Goodbyes here, but now, we get to hear the whole album. Yay!


This album has songs that we all know and love from Sam, which is beautiful melancholic songs relating to heartbreak. One of the songs that really brought attention to me was Midnight Train, with these beautifully sad lyrics: I picked up the pieces on the Midnight Train/ Darling I have my reasons but I can't explain.  The other poignant song is One Last Song, which is effectively a message to an ex: I know you don't want to talk to me/So this is what I'll do/...Here's one last song for you.

Not only does this album feature some beautiful songs, it also contains a personal song, in the form of Scars. Unfortunately, it is only available on the Special Edition of the album but it is a song that shouldn't be skipped. It is written about and for his parents, making a point that he is proud of his mother and father and that despite their separation, they still found time to help him and his siblings through it and cleared up (my) scars.

The thing about Sam Smith is he uses his platform as an opportunity to speak out on topics that still get prejudice, with one them being homosexuality, which is why the track HIM is probably the most important track out there. Listening to the song, you maybe thinking, "It's about a son coming out to his dad. How sweet." When you delve deeper, it is actually about a boy with a religious background coming out, which is important as it is often people with a religious background who suffer prejudice with coming out, due to the views of the bible. Having someone like Sam, who writes songs like HIM can help these people to come to terms with their sexuality.

Overall, The Thrill of it All is another beautiful and personal album from Sam Smith, which I am sure will be as successful as In the Lonely Hour. As for awards? Well, here's hoping it'll pick up at least one...or two...or three, because it deserves it!

Em x

Sam Smith is Back!

So, this weekend, we see the long awaited return of Sam Smith. Apart from the soundtrack to the James Bond film Spectre, Writing on the Wall, we haven't really heard from Sam since he did the 2015 Comic Relief single, Lay Me Down. Well...guess what? He's back with a brand new single, which is called Too Good at Goodbyes.

The good news is, if you like Sam Smith's original sound, then this song is perfect. It is another beautiful ballad, telling the story of a protagonist who is in love with someone, who keeps letting the protagonist down, with lyrics, such as "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." However, it soon becomes clear in the song that the more times the protagonist is let down, the less they have feelings for their loved one. In fact I'm sure many people have been through that situation before, right?



In my opinion, I feel that this new song is a slight let down. Ok, I admit that I liked Sam Smith's songs before his break from music but I had hoped he may have changed his style of music. However, despite this view, maintaining the same musical style works for Sam, as soft, gentle ballads suit his voice. Can you imagine if he had decided to release some upbeat songs? As much as it would make it more interesting, it just wouldn't seem right would it?

So, what's next for Sam Smith? Well, Radio 1 have announced that he will be doing a Live Lounge special, as part of Live Lounge month, on Friday 29th September so if you're in the UK and you are a Sam Smith fan, I would listen out for this. Also, he has teased details of his new album, revealing to Zane Low it will be released "just before Christmas." Also, I would not be surprised if he makes a few festival appearances next year.

Welcome Back Sam Smith!

Em x