On October 30, Sam Smith (who goes by they/them pronouns) released their third studio album, Love Goes. Smith is known for their powerful love songs, most famously for “Stay With Me,” which was first released six years ago. Since 2014, Smith has gone through a long journey with their gender and sexuality, all while being completely transparent with their fans. I was so excited for their new album, especially since they’ve been experimenting with some new genres. Below is my ranking of disc one on Love Goes.
- “Diamonds”
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This song immediately hooked me as soon as it began to play. Smith’s voice is so strong and the chorus is so catchy. While they aren’t exactly known for their more pop-sounding songs, I definitely like the direction they’re going in while also developing their ballad songs. “Diamonds” is definitely my favorite out of all the songs on this album.
- “Dance (Till You Love Someone Else)”
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While this almost came out on top, I had to move it down to second place (not that this wasn’t a hard decision, though). While Smith isn’t known for EDM/pop songs, they did amazing with “Dance (Till You Love Someone Else).” The beat drop is produced flawlessly and, like the title suggests, it simply makes me want to get up and dance until the song is over. It’s been on repeat ever since I first heard it!
- “For the Lover That I Lost”
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I don’t think a Sam Smith song has made me cry this hard since they released “HIM.” It’s a remake of the song with the same title by Celine Dion, but Smith’s voice just makes it so much more emotional, which is just their talent: making things emotional. Definitely adding this to my sad songs playlist!
- “Young”
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What a beautiful introduction this was to the album.The majority of this song is only Smith’s raw voice layered over and over, making it feel raw and haunting, even. Their voice stands out so much in “Young,” which is what makes the song so unique on the album. They discuss the pressures they felt in the beginning of their career and what they wish they could have done (“get a little wild, get a little high, kiss a hundred boys and not feel like I’m tied to them”). but didn’t because of society watching them.
- “My Oasis” (ft. Burna Boy)
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This track was released before the album came out as a single, so I was a bit surprised to see it on the disc one of the album. Still, the song was so good I couldn’t leave it at the bottom of the list. It’s fun, it’s catchy, and the feature flowed well with the song, but also stood out.
- “Love Goes” (ft. Labrinth)
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If you’ve listened to the Euphoria album, you know how good of an artist Labrinth is. This song is a bit different for Labrinth, I think, until the last 30 seconds when the collage of instruments come in. Before then, it is a bit boring, but the lyrics are nice to listen to. But, at 3:17 when the trumpets and drums come in and the entire tempo of the song speeds up, the song just… hits differently. I appreciate and love this collab; I just felt like it wasn’t good enough to be higher.
- “So Serious”
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I don’t know what it is about Sam Smith, but there was something so them about this song that I recognized and loved. Smith relates to so many of us when it comes to us feeling stressed or frustrated, never taking the time to stop and breathe. Like they say, “Wait patiently and you’re gonna be free.” With everything going on around us right now, they comfort us by saying that they know and understand (especially when it comes to us; the queer community).
- “Another One”
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“Another One” was really good, don’t get me wrong, but it didn’t stand out as much as the previous songs. Smith’s voice is beautiful and I enjoy it a lot, but what makes this song good is the backing track and overall production. It reminds me of a movie, almost. If Smith were to film a new music video, I think this song would make an amazing one.
- “Kids Again”
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This is one of Smith’s iconic love songs that just relates to everyone, at least a little bit. It’s nostalgic, comforting, and a little painful, especially now as we all navigate adulthood. “Kids Again” talks about the innocence of childhood and young love, and having it all change so quickly. Still, you remember that one person from your childhood who you’ll always miss. Smith did good here in hitting me where it hurts.
- “Forgive Myself”
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Why does this song hurt so much? I don’t know – that’s just Smith’s power. All I have to say is, if you ever need a good song to cry to, “Forgive Myself” is a good option.
- “Breaking Hearts”
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One of the shorter songs on the album, “Breaking Hearts” has a good beat and reminds me of something that would be on “The Thrill of It All.” It’s catchy, but didn’t match up to the other songs for me. Still, I love it.
Overall, Love Goes was nothing short of extraordinary. I didn’t exactly expect anything less from Sam Smith, but they went above and beyond my expectations with this album. They gave me dance songs, pop songs, slow songs, and everything in between. I even think I like it better than The Thrill Of It All, which has masterpieces such as “HIM” and “No Peace.” I’m so happy for the direction that Sam Smith is going in and encourage you all to give this album a listen!
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