Sam Smith and Kim Petras Bless the World With Something “Unholy”

You’ve probably heard that haunting and seductive chorus all over social media, but the wait is now over and Sam Smith (they/them) and Kim Petras (she/her) officially dropped their new single “Unholy” this week.

The choral heavy, synth-ladened song is the first single off of Smith’s upcoming fourth album and marks the first time that the “Diamonds” singer collaborated with Petras. The single’s chorus has a chokehold on social media, with TikToks made by different creators and Smith going viral all over the platform. 

@samsmith little dance we made @Kim Petras ♬ original sound – Sam Smith

@amanda.sze Reply to @atharva_p02 here it goes!! how’d I do 🧐 #samsmith#unholy#kimpetras#saxophone#cover#musician ♬ original sound – Sam Smith

In this day and age, social media has seen plenty of songs, like Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” or Lil Nas X’s “Call Me By Your Name”, skyrocket into immense popularity.

To further promote the song, the two artists performed “Unholy” on BBC Radio 1.

Lyrics like Mummy don’t know daddy’s getting hot / At the body shop / Doin’ somethin’ unholy are a far cry from the heartbroken Smith of yesteryear. But a rebirth is something that Smith has been looking for. They’ve steadily walked away from the sad songs of their debut album In the Lonely Hour and found their footing in something, well, “unholy” and we stan. 

In a red carpet interview with Entertainment Tonight, Smith talked about the song marking a new chapter in their life. “It’s time for my villain era, I think”, they said. “Time to get sexy”.

Judging by the reactions on social media, it’s a good era to be in. 

In an interview with NME, Smith stated that, “It was so cathartic and freeing to experiment like this and throw out the rule book. It has also been an honour to work with Kim and get to witness her brilliance. This song is about liberating oneself from the clutches of others’ secrets”.

And speaking of liberation, both artists seem to be finding freedom in music. This marks the first song that Petras has released since tweeting out a storm of now deleted tweets voicing her frustration with not being able to release new music since her EP Slut Pop came out. 

But things seem to be looking up for the “XXX” singer with “Unholy” out now. In response to a fan’s excitement, she tweeted that “It’s like the best song I’ve ever been a part of”.

Well, when a nonbinary British crooner and a trans German pop star join forces, they sonically bless the world with something “Unholy”.