By Angelina Liang

Opinions Editor

British artist Sam Smith’s ‘The Thrill of It All,’ released on Nov. 3, is only his second full length studio album, yet the singer-songwriter has already established himself as one of the music industry’s most talented vocalists. In 2015, Smith’s debut album, ‘In the Lonely Hour,’ won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album, and this sophomore album is a testament of his continuous musical geniosity and dynamic range.

While most of his songs cover themes of loneliness and heartbreak, the hymn ‘HIM’ touches on the struggles Smith faced as a Catholic boy questioning the validity of his sexuality. The song sends a powerful message to love freely and fearlessly in the face of public scrutiny. Musically, the standout track is unquestionably, ‘Baby, You Make Me Crazy.’ This uplifting song brings together all the best elements of Smith’s new album: a strong, smooth voice capable of pulling off falsettos with ease, a soulful gospel arrangement, and a brass heavy instrumental ensemble that brings a sense of fullness to the music, not to mention a phenomenal breakdown to end the song.

Using a mixture of traditional ballads, blues influences, and gospel choir backtracks, Smith weaves together a soundtrack for the broken-hearted. Still, the artist takes little risk on ‘The Thrill of It All.’ The album highlights Smith’s strengths as a jazz trained vocalist, but it is not as groundbreaking as it could be. The singer’s ability to smoothly transition from lower notes directly to a falsetto delivers an exciting listening experience and a hint of Smith’s full potential if he ever breaks past the safety of love songs—an art he has clearly already mastered. Holistically, ‘The Thrill of It All’ tells the story of a young man still learning to move on. In it, Smith dismantles the stereotype against sappy, sad breakup songs. Instead, he replaces them
with a sincere narrative that captures just how essential hurting is to healing. In his music, Smith offers a piece of poised insight on the necessity of experiencing heartbreak. In spite of the extremely daunting prospect of getting hurt, “Real love is never a waste of time.”