Sam Smith’s In the Lonely Hour hit #1 in UK

In the Lonely Hour Sam Smith

Released: May 26, 2014 Charted: June 1, 2014 Peak: 2 US, 18 UK, 2 CN, 12 AU Sales (in millions): -- US, -- UK, -- world (includes US and UK) Genre: pop/blue-eyed soul

Tracks: Song Title (Writers) [time] (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Money on My Mind (2/16/14, 1 UK, 51 AU) Good Thing Stay with Me (4/14/14, 2 US, 1 RR, 1 AC, 1 A40, 10a RB, 1 UK, 1 CN, 5 AU) Leave Your Lover (6/7/14, 92 US) I’m Not the Only One (6/21/14, 5 US, 4 RR, 3 AC, 3 A40, 3 UK, 2 CN, 11 AU) I’ve Told You Now Like I Can (12/5/14, 99 US, 27 RR, 17 AC, 26 A40, 9 UK, 53 CN, 20 AU) Life Support Not in That Way Lay Me Down (2/15/13, 8 US, 17 RR, 11 AC, 1 UK, 12 A40, 1: remix with John Legend) Total Running Time: 32:47

Rating: 3.578 out of 5.00 (average of 32 ratings) Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: Sam Smith was a London-born vocalist with a deeply emotive voice” AMG who “grew up listening to R&B giants Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston.” AMG Smith made his first impact on the charts in 2012 in the UK as the guest vocalist on “Disclosure’s loping dance-pop single,” AMG reaching #11. The “breakbeat-driven tearjerker” AMG “La La La” followed the next year. It was a #1 UK hit by Naughty Boy with Sam Smith. It set up lofty expectations for his 2014 In the Lonely Hour album. The album was preceded by three singles. Lay Me Down initially stalled just inside the top 50 on the UK charts, but would eventually become a top 10 hit in the US and a remixed version would reach the top spot in the UK. Money on My Mind, “an upbeat statement of purpose more about the soul than the heart,” AMG hit the UK charts in February 2014 and went all the top way to #1. However, it was Stay with Me, “a torch song with a gospel-inspired chorus,” AMG which gave Smith a worldwide hit that reached the top 10 in twenty countries, WK including #1 in the UK and #2 in the U.S. They cast Smith as “a heartbroken balladeer” AMG and, indeed, the subsequent In the Lonely Hour album was “more about morning than movement” AMG as “deep sorrow informs most of the material.” AMG Instead of capitalizing on the dance-pop of his hits with Disclosure and Naughty Boy, Smith delivered a collection of stripped-down songs, “some with merely piano, acoustic guitar, and conservative strings.” AMG “That puts all the more focus on Smith’s voice and words, the latter of which switch between borderline maudlin (‘What use is money when you need someone to hold?’) and disarmingly brazen (‘Just leave your lover, leave him for me’). If Smith didn’t have such a remarkable voice, they could stay busy composing songs for artists in several genres; the anthemic Like I Can could be easily adapted for a contemporary country singer, while a few others could be turned over to young pop artists in need of material that makes them sound more human. This is an understated and promising first step from an unpredictable and distinctive talent.” AMG Notes: The deluxe edition added bonus tracks “Restart,” “Latch,” “La La La,” and “Make It to Me.” A European iTunes version also added “Reminds Me of You” while a Google Play version added acoustic versions of “In the Lonely Hour” and “Nirvana.” There was also a Target deluxe edition and Japanese versions with bonus tracks and a deluxe edition with remixes. One variation included a full second disc known as the Drowning Shadows Edition.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Sam Smith AMG All Music Guide review by Andy Kellman WK Wikipedia First posted 4/30/2022.