“This is for all the lonely hearts out there on another Valentine’s Day xx,” Sam Smith tweeted regarding the release of their new single ‘To Die For.’
This heartbreaking ballad was released on Feb. 14, the perfect time to drop a single for heartbroken and brooding people. This is the fourth single released before the drop of Smith’s “To Die For” album on May 1 alongside “Dancing with a Stranger,” “How Do You Sleep?” and a cover of Donna Summer’s “I Feel Love.” These songs have already received love from many top charts across the United States.
I think most people are afraid of not finding love, this song expresses Smith’s feelings of not wanting to die alone and wanting to find somebody to die for. The intro of the song is a sample from the 2001 thriller, cult film Donnie Darko. The first verse is about Smith’s search for a lover, seeming hopeful about the journey. The chorus tells how Smith compares themselves to other happy couples. They’re waiting for a muse that doesn’t seem to be coming—willing to do anything for somebody to love.
The second verse digs deeper into Smith’s emotions. They’re reminiscing about times with a past lover and feeling like a fool for thinking about the former flame. The thought of forgetting about how being in love feels like is an underlying theme in this verse.
“To Die For” has reached over 1 million streams on Spotify and is currently listed at number 43 in Billboard’s The Hot 100 since its release almost three weeks ago. This song is the best spin on the common Valentine’s Day ballad, giving a pessimistic view on the holiday. I always recommend Smith’s songs to anyone who enjoys soulful, sad music and that includes this song—it’s the perfect mix between a pop song and an emotional ballad. It’s consistent with Smith’s theme in their music.
In their debut album, “In the Lonely Hour,” most of Smith’s songs are about begging someone to be with them. It’s clearly evident in songs like “Stay With Me,” “Leave Your Lover” and “Like I Can.”
In their second album “The Thrill of It All,” the theme is heartbreak with religious undertones. The best songs to portray this is “Too Good at Goodbyes,” “HIM” and “Pray.”
