By Nicky Brown ’19
British artist Sam Smith came out with his second studio album, “The Thrill of It All” on Nov 3 2017. The song, “Too Good At Goodbyes” was his first single released, and many Sam Smith fans immediately fell in love with his sophomore album.
After not putting out a new record since “In The Lonely Hour” in 2015, Sam Smith fans began to wonder when they would hear new music from the singer.
“Sam Smith is one of my favorite artists, but he had not released music in so long. I am glad to finally hear something new from him, ” Maisie Prince ’20 said.
The album consists of 14 new songs, all with a different meaning and sound. After Smith came out as gay a few years back, certain songs can hint at a deeper message. “I think that the song HIM is about his coming out story and how he can still be accepted by God even thought a lot of people say that being gay is against many religions,” Sophie Attkiss ’19 said.
In the slow and dramatic song, Smith sings “Holy father we need to talk / I have a secret that I can’t keep […] Please don’t get angry / Have faith in me. […] It is him I love.”
Many fans, including Attkiss, made the connection that the “secret” was his sexuality and he did not want God to be angry with him for coming out.
However, not every song is slow with a deep connection. Hannah Murphy ’21 said that “Too Good At Goodbyes” is her favorite on the album because “it really shows how good of an artist he is and is one of the faster paced songs he has come out with.”
The fast paced song brings a more positive vibe to the album, presenting a higher pitch and faster pace from Smith.
Staples students seem to be liking the album, as well as the rest of the world too. According to Rolling Stone, “Sam Smith captured his first Number One album as the British singer’s ‘The Thrill of It All” debuted atop the Billboard 200.”
The album currently sits at number two on the iTunes top 10, right below Taylor Swift’s “reputation” and topping artists like P!nk and Maroon 5.
However, some students are having mixed emotions on the album, like Sami Levin ’19. “I love Sam Smith and his new album, but I do think that his last album was better. The songs are faster and don’t make me as sad.”
But students like Carly Kaplowitz ’21 disagree. “I think the songs on his current album now are much better than even his most popular songs from his last album. They all have a deeper meaning.”
Sam Smiths “The Thrill of It All” has brought up many different emotions and feelings from students around Staples. Whether you were a fan or not, the conversation is still relevant to music lovers.
Smiths newest album continues to top charts as listeners interpret it how they choose to.
