'Gloria' by Sam Smith
- Feb 24, 2023
- 2 min read
Written by Abby Power
February 6th, 2023
The fourth studio album by non-binary singer/songwriter Sam Smith was released on January 27th, 2023, by Capitol Records. Gloria, named after Smith’s “inner voice”, offers a certain freedom in terms of sexuality, experimentation, and emotional diversity. Sam Smith collaborated with Jessie Reyez, Koffee, Kim Petras, and Ed Sheeran on selected album tracks. Gloria was produced by Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes, as well as notable names such as Calvin Harris.
While the album did not particularly appeal to its audience, the album was ranked at number one in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Featuring the Grammy award-winning single ‘Unholy’, performed by Sam Smith and Kim Petras, the album was widely promoted and gained top charting spots in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, amongst other countries. Gloria was considered a fence-sitter for most, proving that it may not have been Smith’s most favourable album. That being said, the album was saved by the Grammy award-winning song, as it won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 2023 Grammy Awards. The nomination for ‘Unholy’ would be the first Grammy nomination for Kim Petras, who also became the first transgender woman to win a Grammy in the category.
Following their Grammy win, Sam Smith and Kim Petras performed ‘Unholy’ with inspiration from “unholiness”; horror films, satanic costumes, red leather, and enormous flames of fire. The duo would receive controversy just days after their eccentric Grammy performance. Some had even claimed that it would impose “Unholy” views towards what children were supposed to be learning in schools.
Sam Smith kicked their ‘Unholy’ performance from Saturday Night Live to its knees. And while the album may not be remembered as one of the greater albums to be released in January 2023, the leading single on the album, ‘Unholy’, will be remembered as a sexually liberating and theatrical performance.
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