Sam Smith – Gloria

[T.B.F.]

Good to know! So, I can save my money opening week and wait for the deluxe to drop! Thanks for the heads up!

[thezatch]

This practice of dropping a deluxe version days / weeks / months later is so dumb (I'm fully aware why it's done though). I remember the days in the mid-to-late 2000s when the deluxe and standard editions would drop the same day and the deluxe often had the best songs on the album ("Phonography" on Circus, for example).

[munx]

Jan 21, 2023 13:51:26 GMT -5 thezatch said:

This practice of dropping a deluxe version days / weeks / months later is so dumb (I'm fully aware why it's done though). I remember the days in the mid-to-late 2000s when the deluxe and standard editions would drop the same day and the deluxe often had the best songs on the album ("Phonography" on Circus, for example).

or the deluxe would include a dvd with the videos from the era.

[SHOOTER]

Cute performances. I assume this longer version of Gloria will be on the inevitable deluxe.

[spiritboy]

I have a question since English isn't my first language, i know their pronouns are they/them. What do we use when we use their name? Sam is or Sam are? Are makes no sense but what do i know

[schnetzka]

Jan 23, 2023 12:54:40 GMT -5 spiritboy said:

I have a question since English isn't my first language, i know their pronouns are they/them. What do we use when we use their name? Sam is or Sam are? Are makes no sense but what do i know

When it comes to names, you still use "is" because a name is a noun and not a pronoun. Hope that clears it up!

[yog]

[T.B.F.]

So sad that Sam dropped an album today and this thread is dead. Has anyone heard the album? Thoughts?? Btw, I LOVED the Unholy performance on SNL!

[Forever Winter]

I'm Not Here To Make Friends made me excited about the album. Listening right now

[munx]

I just woke up. I’ll be listening to it on my road trip today. Looking forward to checking it out.

[yog]

easily Sam’s best album since “Thrill Of It All”, I genuinely liked very song, dead serious… no skips for me,

[T.B.F.]

Jan 27, 2023 8:24:15 GMT -5 yog said:

easily Sam’s best album since “Thrill Of It All”, I genuinely liked very song, dead serious… no skips for me,

Everything I've read about the Ed Sheeran collab is terrible. I like Ed a lot, even his sappy stuff, so I'm hoping I won't hate that song.

[Forever Winter]

Just listened and these are the ones that stood out the most right away: 

-Love Me More
-Lose You
-Perfect 
-Unholy (Of course!!) 
-How To Cry
-I'm Not Here To Make Friends 

I don't know how to explain it but it felt like some songs were there to fill a ballad/slow song quota and i'm glad

Overall it's a great record. Congrats! 

[Carlitoz]

Loving the album!! It’s grown SO much in me from 7:30am that I listened to it first versus now 9pm. A totally different impression. Looking fw to keep listen to it in the coming weeks.

[SHOOTER]

No God
Lose You
Unholy
How to Cry
Six Shots
Gimme
I’m Not Here to Make Friends

These are my favorites but it’s really a no-skips album (if you stop at track 12); easily my favorite album of Sam’s! Even though it was designed to genre-hop, it’s sequenced perfectly because the flow is immaculate and they make it all sound effortless. Hoping the Target bonus tracks atone for the dreadful closing track.

[divasummer]

Nice album!
I figured I would like it because I had liked everything be previewed or released so far from it. Well except the title track?
Favorites so far are:
“Love Me More” which I always liked.
“Unholy”
“I’m Not Here To Make Friends” The chorus chant reminds me of another song though.
“Gimmie” which I could see may annoy some people but I love it and most of Jessie’s parts remind me of Rihanna.
“No God” It’s a nice mid tempo and the pre chorus slightly reminds me of the pre chorus of “Nobody Love” by Tori Kelly.
“Lose You” is a cute dance track.
“How To Cry” which is a nice acoustic ballad.
“Six Shots” is an RnB influenced ballad which I’m really liking to
The whole project was well done.
I could do without a few tracks but nothing is really all that bad in my opinion.

[bat1990]

Here is my track-by-track review of Gloria! I turned in out in less than 24 hours.

Episode 17 - Be Yourself So Loud Tonight an

[T.B.F.]

The production (particularly mixing and mastering) of this album is... *chef's kiss* Rich and luxurious. I wasn't expecting Sam to essentially deliver an R&B album. A lot has been made about their voice being soulful, but I feel this is the first time Sam's voice has really been this well-matched to production. Also, these are Sam's best vocals hands down. Like butter. No grating qualities to be found. The album breezes by pretty quickly, which I also appreciated. This is probably going to surpass The Thrill Of It All as my favorite Sam album, but it's a great listen. B+ On a related note, I saw Sam was trending but apparently for outrage over their recent performance on a UK show? Why are they so stuffy over there??

1. Unholy - WHEW. Still a first-class banger. Well-deserving of all the success it's had. Also, I know I am a broken record with the production comments, but sheesh, it sounds even better on the album. I will NEVER not hear "He suck cock while she droppin' it" though. Also, this is one of the very few songs under 3 minutes that I think is not undercooked. It gives everything it needs to give in the time allotted.
2. Kissing You - O. M. G. When I saw that Kissing You was a Target bonus track, I was REALLY hoping it would be the Des'ree cover. I actually had forgotten about that song and memories immediately came rushing back. Sam did one of the most beautiful songs ever created such justice. Extremely tasteful cover but expertly sung. They did Des'ree proud.
3. Gimme - Still fire. I feel like I'm gonna be screaming #JusticeForGimme from the hilltops and I don't care who doesn't hear it.
4. No God - This should be a single, actually.
5. I'm Not Here To Make Friends - Let's gooooo! Stellar. Nothing else to say, really. Also, why is nobody talking about Yessie's background vocals on this? She really has a great relationship with Calvin Harris, it seems.
6. Lose You - Great chorus and again, killer production.
7. 6 Shots - I love this. Pure R&B vibes.
8. Perfect - Not so crazy about the song (it's the chorus, really) but LOVE the production.
9. Heavenly Sent - This easily fits in Sam's wheelhouse and it could have been on their first two albums, particularly The Thrill Of It All.
10. Who We Love - I don't hate this as much as I was expecting. They both sound great.
11. Gloria - Beautiful gowns, but...truly.
12. Love Me More - I had actually never heard this song until I played the album in full. I'm not normally into self-help songs like this, but it's nice. I really dig the production and Sam sounds great.
13. How To Cry - One hell of a buzzkill after Unholy. It might grow on me, but it's not really what I want from Sam. The guitar is pretty, though.

[SHOOTER]

Projected to debut top-10 with 27-32k SPS. On par with my personal expectations.

***

In the Lonely Hour: #2, 166k

The Thrill of It All: #1, 237k SPS (185k sales)

Love Goes: #5, 41k SPS (18k sales)

[Leigh]

Wow, this album truly surprised me. I’m obsessed with ‘No God’ and ‘Six Shots’.

I completely agree with T.B.F. - the jump from ‘Unholy’ to ‘How to Cry’ is so jarring and such an odd sequencing choice. They could have at least thrown in some kind of interlude to bridge that energy-sapping gap.

(Sam Smith and Ed Sheeran is also a collab I didn’t need).

But those points aside, such a solid album. Again, agreeing with T.B.F.’s comments about the production.

I didn’t realize there is a cover of Des’ree’s ‘Kissing You’ on the Target album 😍 I need to see that out.

[Sir B.]

The video for "Not Here To Make Friends" is getting a lot of backlash and rightfully so because OMG who approved that mess? I will check out the album and pretend like I didn't see whatever the hell that was.

[T.B.F.]

Oh...
I thought it was a live performance that had the Karens clutching their pearls or judgmental gays saying Sam misrepresented LGBTQ people. Can't wait to watch Sam celebrate their sexual freedom.

[★Disco★]

I liked the video. First, the community says they want more authentic representation of LGBTQIA+ individuals, then it happens and then they pick the entire thing apart when it shows more than just tight, buff, smooth, Caucasian twunks. We need to see all body types, races, etc.

[munx]

The clothing choices were a choice. And there’s no denying that. Some of them, I would have preferred they were better tailored to fit Sam, that’s my only qualm.

I listened to the album once on my way to Montreal. It was a good listen, I’ll have to listen again on my way home and really dive into it and pick my favorites.

One song that did stand out and I enjoyed was No God. I’m also over Ed Sheeren. I feel bad saying that, but he does nothing for me now.

Jan 28, 2023 8:26:35 GMT -5 martinittoe said:

Does anyone have the two target exclusive songs? Could you upload them, please?

Im pretty sure you can’t ask for mp3s on this site.

[wavey.]

[Carlitoz]

Obsessed with the album. No skips for me.
And I was not even a huge fan. I did like them ok since their first album.

[Nasarati]

The amount of fatphobia and queerphobia I see surrounding Sam Smith recently is driving me insane. I think he looks happier and hotter than ever. Being free, expressive and confident is wayyyy f**king sexier than being thin.

[spiritboy]

The album bored me tbh. I was expecting an album full of bops. Maybe it'll grow on me.

[newpower]

Love this album. On pair with Love Goes for me (my favorite from them... well excluding the Nirvana EP which I like even more). I only wish the album was a little longer in the 38-40 minutes range... several of the under 3 minutes songs could have been a little longer.

I don't see anything wrong with that video and they look great.

[ampersand]

The album is okay. I have the same problem with it that I had with the last album, which is that Sam needs to commit to releasing an album full of bangers without any drab ballads. I know ballads used to be their bread and butter, but the ones on these last two albums have been awful, and I'd just like to see them pull off a full dance album.