Hey all!
I thought I'd do an album review on some current music that has been released! Sam Smith is one of those amazing artists who's voice is so soothing, but there is also a deep meaning behind all of their songs. Initially the album was to be called 'To Die For' but had its name changed at the last minute! It was released on 30th October 2020!
Without anymore delay, here's my review of each song!
Disc 1:
1- 'Young'
I feel like this song is speaking deeply about the fact that as Sam is a young person, they should be able to kiss whoever they want without being judged. One of the sentences in the song that brings this ideology to life is; 'Kiss 100 boys and not feeling like I'm tied to them' as many people in the LGBTQ+ community want more than a relationship, but they just want to have a bit of fun. They go on to say that if people have a problem with that, they are able to have their own opinions but shouldn't be getting involved.
2- 'Diamonds'
I think this song signifies Sam falling for somebody romantically, but that person has fallen for Sam's richness, so it's a bit of a dig at that person. 'You dream of glitter and gold and my heart's already been sold' - the two different sides to this relationship. Either way, I think this is a really well put together song; especially with the variety of tempo and pitch of singing in the song. I've always loved Sam's voice, and this is such a dramatic single which explains exactly how they're feeling at the moment.
3- 'Another One'
In the opening lyrics of this song, it's clear that the meaning behind this song is that Sam's previous lover has gone on to meet somebody else, and actually Sam reveals that he's 'dodget a bullet'. They wish this person all the best with their new partner but clearly don't feel bad about missing out. I think this is something a lot of people go through, when realising their ex isn't somebody they saw their future with, and are indeed grateful that they've moved on to somebody else.
4- 'My Oasis' (ft Burna Boy)
The first collaboration on the album is with Burna Boy (who has previously collaborated with Rita Ora, Stormy, Four of Diamonds and Jorja Smith among others) and it seems like quite a relaxing song from the outset. The opening lyrics of the song signify that they see somebody's shadow every morning when waking up and that the love between them and somebody else is getting deeper. This song could simply be about somebody that Sam has previously dated or been in a relationship with, but they've made it a little too difficult for it to work out - 'playing with my emotions' a line that sticks out throughout the song. Sam goes on to say 'there's nothing I can do when it comes to you', so does this maybe signify that although they've tried to help get their relationship back on board, it's just not possible...I'm not sure, but either way it's a soothing R&B style song with a great feature from Burna Boy!
5- 'So Serious'
'Put your hands in the air if you ever get sad like me' are the first lyrics of this song, which is something that a lot of people can probably relate to, in terms of being sad...especially with the current worldly pandemic that everyone is dealing with at the moment. The song's title explains that at times Sam gets serious sometimes; but in life, don't we all? I feel like it's fine to have a laugh and joke, but sometimes being serious isn't a bad thing as it shows you care about certain things. They go on to say there's 'violins and movie scenes' and 'crying rivers in the streets' which reveal true emotions when you think too seriously about something. Either way, the tune is great and if anyone is feeling sad, this should hopefully make them happier.
6- 'Dance' ('Til You Love Someone Else)
This song seems to be another dig at a previous lover of Sam's...where he reveals he can only see somebody's face while he's slightly drunk, and it's a 'dark place'. The meaning I get from this song is that you can't fall out of love until you love somebody else, which is why this song is called 'Dance' as they are clearly trying to move from one person to somebody else...maybe? During the last part of the song, they go on to say that 'sadness is beautiful' which is true in most circumstances, but it also helps you to realise the truth about how you feel, regarding yourself, relationships and your life situation...so, sometimes crying can help you take a minute to forget about dealing with real life!
7- 'For The Lover That I Lost'
Oh, I'll warn people just before they play this song...it's an emotional one! I'm not sure if I've been able to work out the proper meaning for this song, but either the person he is singing about isn't alive anymore or something happened between them and they became distant...so although they might have ended on a bad note, there are still so many memories between the two of them. I think this was a really lovely song, and again, it's probably relatable with other people that have lost lovers in the past.
8- 'Breaking Hearts'
Another emotional song from Sam here. Straightaway I think that the person being sung about has been cheating on Sam, especially with lyrics such as 'While you're busy breaking hearts, I was busy breaking'. At the end of the song Sam questions why he let this person into his heart, as now it's busy breaking...but yeah, this was a lovely song!
9- 'Forgive Myself'
Another relationship that went from bad to worse, after somebody travelled to California and for some reason Sam 'let him go'. They go on to say that this person is inside their head and out of their dreams' but isn't sure if they can love anybody else until they forgive themself. I think this is a common trait that people in relationships have...they always think that they're in the wrong is something goes wrong between the two people, when in fact it's probably just fate telling them that it's just not right. Never force love or be with somebody because you have to, because it will hurt you 100X more if it doesn't go right...
10- 'Love Goes' (ft Labrinth)
A nice little piano instrumental at the beginning of this song sets off the second collaboration on this album with Labrinth (who has previously worked with artists such as X Factor's Fleur East and Emeli Sande). This ballad-like song speaks about the way in which love works. I love the little riffs in the chorus of this song as it sounds like a staircase of vocals from high to slightly lower! The last minute of the song was purely instrumentals with some ad-lib vocals from each of the artists on this single, but I'm still trying to work out how love actually goes!
11- 'Kids Again'
The 11th and final song on the first disc is called 'Kids Again' which probably looks back on all the great memories that Sam had as a child, admitting that we'll never be kids again. I guess it's an emotional thing to think about because even though a lot of us are still young, we won't ever be able to go back to the days where we didn't have any responsibilites or chores, whereas now everyday we've got adult things to do...whether thats studying, finding work or working. They go on to say that as young people we were able to change the world...but the fact that my generation and Sam's generation are years apart, times have most certainly changed since those days!
Disc 2:
1- 'Dancing With A Stranger' (with Normani)
I'm sure everybody knows this song? Basically, I think it's mainly something that happens when people are intoxicated and especially when they don't want to feel like they're alone all night (with or without their friends); and being in the club is usually the best place to dance with strangers. Sam teamed up with Fifth Harmony member Normani, who has actually gone on to release some independant music including her worldwide hit 'Motivation'. I can complete relate to this single, as most of the times I went out to clubs, I always ended up dancing with somebody I didn't know...not the proper dances like you see on Strictly Come Dancing, but we would be standing apart and bouncing along to the music. Maybe I'll release an album of my own music one day speaking of some of my personal circumstances? Who knows?
2- 'How Do You Sleep?'
For those people that know me, they know that I played this song quite a lot wherever I was...the song was on repeat or I'd someone to add it to their playlist because it's a song you can BOP to! It's like Rihanna's 'Work' but a little less energetic (So you don't go out of breath after the first chorus). I think this song is about another one of Sam's previous relationships who's clearly lied about some things previously and they're being questioned how they're able to sleep through the night knowing what they've done. I think this is my favourite single on the whole album, just because everything about it is golden! The message, the vocals and it was one of the first songs that was pre released before the full album release!
3- 'To Die For'
The 3rd song on the 2nd disc is called 'To Die For' which was due to be the album title, but it was changed last minute. (I wrote that at the top of this blog post, but thought I'd state that again)! This song is slightly different to some of the others on the album as there are spoken vocals throughout the song which could be voices of somebody in their family? Or a celebrity who's stated relevant words that were included? The main message behind this song is that Sam wants 'somebody to die for', probably relating to love. If they want to die for anybody, it would be somebody that they love...with examples such as 'pink lemonade on a Sunday' or 'couples holding hands on a runway'. It's a very powerful song and I think most people don't really want to die alone, so it's a good way for them to tell the world that they're looking for love!
4- 'I'm Ready' (with Demi Lovato)
Another collaboration on the album with Demi Lovato, another song that was released before the full album, but I never actually got round to listening to this song properly! I don't really know what the meaning of this song is, but I believe it states that both Sam and Demi are ready for a battle! 'I'm ready I'm ready I'm ready I'm ready for someone to love me'; those are the lyrics stated by both of the artists in this song, so maybe it's another love song? And although Sam might have been in some complicated relationships before, they're now ready to find someone.
5- 'Fire On Fire'
At the beginning of this song, they reveal that their mother said Sam's 'too romantic' which is a good and bad thing I believe? Too romantic means you give rather than take, but it also means you care about who you're with...and not just there for the sake of it. Sam goes on to reveal in the song that the 'Fire on Fire' aspect relates to his current relationship where they see perfection, which some refer to as being a little too dangerous...does this mean that they're getting on so well and that they have so much 'desire to become winners', that they are closing out the rest of the world? Either way, as I'm listening to this song, I imagine a palace with two Kings walking around and making love, ignoring any negativity from the outside! This was a great single, and I could see it featured in a future Disney movie...maybe!
6- 'Promises' (with Calvin Harris & Jessie Reyez)
The final song on the album is another single that was released before the album release. The song was written by Calvin Harris alongside Sam Smith and Jessie Reyez. Jessie has also released an album in 2020 so I'm sure there will be a blog post about that, but let's review the final song on Sam's album! The lyrics in this song explain that there is clearly love in the air, but he can't do 'golden rings' a.k.a any form of engagement or marriage, but instead they just want to have a bit of casual fun! I like the background vocals by Jessie in this song and it's spontaneous giggling that helps bring the song together! It's definitely a party song, and it's already been played many times in my Spotify playlist!
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