Sam Smith - Gloria

“By giving this record to you I am giving you part of my heart and soul,” said Sam Smith when announcing their fourth full-length, ‘Gloria’. Arriving three years after third album ‘Love Goes’, Sam’s latest finds them exploring self-acceptance and self-growth across their now-classic style of soul-tinged pop. Previewed by sultry synth-pop hit ‘Unholy’ alongside Kim Petras, the chart-topper is an undoubted standout, allowing Sam to break-away from their previous sad-ballad image and explore different sounds and themes. Sonically, similar vibes land in ’Lose You’s pulsating dance-pop grooves and the sleek sexy sounds of ‘Gimme’, which features Canadian songwriter Jessie Reyez and Jamaica’s Koffee, however nothing packs quite the same punch as the undisputed banger which cheekily details family betrayal (“Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot at the body shop / Doing something unholy”). Yet while ’Unholy’’s catchy melodies may be elsewhere untouchable, it breaks down the boundaries of topics to explore throughout the rest of ‘Gloria’.