Sam Smith is back once again with another iconic album. “Gloria,” which came out Jan. 27, has 13 tracks with a total runtime of 33 minutes.

Smith’s album has topped the charts in the UK at the number one spot as of last week. They won a Grammy for one of the tracks, “Unholy” with Kim Petras for Pop Duo/Group Performance and also had two nominations for the Brit Awards this year.

They even sparked a lot of controversy with some viewers in his performances at both award shows.

In an interview with the Daily Wire, Candace Owens, a conservative talk show host, had a few things to say about Sam Smith’s new music and their performance at the Grammys.

“Why did you have to give yourself to this sort of demonic nature that we’re seeing inside?” Owens said. “The most bizarre part of the entire performance is a standing ovation at the end.”

Despite conservative opinions on the music, fans have other things to say about it, commenting on recent twitter posts commending Smith on the latest album.

In a recent interview, Smith also explains their intentions behind this new album.

“The collection really came about expressing the liberation I’ve been feeling over the last few years, when it comes to my sexuality, my emotions, my spirit,” Smith said, in the interview with Billboard.

Their top songs on the album alongside “Unholy” were “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” and “Who We Love.”

“Unholy” featuring Kim Petras is still ranked in the UK charts as well as top 5 in Billboard. The song was originally considered a marketing flop due to the way it was teased through social media. Smith and Petras released the chorus online to hype up the song, but unfortunately it left the fans expecting much more.

However, this hasn’t stopped the song from reaching the top of the charts and it’s still high up in the rankings months later. It’s also been performed at multiple award shows including the Grammys and the Brits, as well as SNL. 

“I’m Not Here To Make Friends” was also performed on the BBC 1 Graham Norton Show. This song also has a few collaborators as well, including artists Calvin Harris and Jessie Reyez.

“The song title is also an attitude and spirit on the record that I have: I’m done trying to please people now,” Smith said, in an interview with Apple Music.

Lastly, there’s the final track on the album: “Who We Love” is the final track on the album which was made with a collaboration with Ed Sheeran.

A lot of the songs on the album have an upbeat feel to them but with “Who We Love,” Smith really goes back to that traditional ballad. Smith and Sheeran’s voices blend harmoniously throughout the song.

“I felt like it was a queer ballad anthem written from a friend,” Smith said. “There was something so poignant and beautiful about it.”

Smith then goes on to talk about how Sheeran has personally helped them through tough times, especially with the music industry being such a hostile environment to flourish in.

The album “Gloria” has stirred up quite the attention, both negative and positive. Not everyone is going to see eye to eye on creative pieces, but Smith has fought hard for their work.

With the album ranking at top of the charts last week and now at the number 13 spot this week, fans are hopeful to see them on tour this upcoming year.

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