World Premiere: Sam Smith - "Drowning Shadows" [Full Audio / Review]
He is not afraid of Adele! Sam Smith world premiered via Zane Lowe’s Beats 1 radio show today, November 2nd, his new single “Drowning Shadows”, which he calls “the saddest song I've ever written and probably the least radio-friendly song I've ever written”. The ’new’ song will appear on the upcoming re-issue of Sam’s 2014 Grammy-winning debut album “In The Lonely Hour”, which will be called “In The Lonely Hour: Drowning Shadows Edition”, and released on November 6th.
“Drowning Shadows” was written before "Stay With Me" or "I'm Not the Only One”, but ultimately it was not included on the original “In The Lonely Hour” as Sam wasn't able to settle on an appropriate arrangement. So in to the vault it went…till now.
Drowning shadows is out tonight!! You ready guys?? I'm feeling way more emotional about this one than I thought xx ????
— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) November 2, 2015
Sam’s new single is an elegant and poignant ballad backed by only piano and strings.
About the story behind “Drowning Shadows”, Sam told Zane Lowe the following:
"I always loved it, but something didn't happen right with the production when we were going through different versions of it," he said. "Something didn't work. I thought of it recently when we were thinking about the repackage, and we went in and just did it with piano."
Smith said the track was inspired by taxi rides leaving the recording studio in which he'd arrive at a literal and thematic crossroads. "One road would lead to gay clubs I used to go out to, and the other road would go home," he said. "I was in such a lonely, sad place when I was writing this album that sometimes, I'd literally have to choose. “Do I go home for nothing or stay out for more?”, he sings in the song.
Will this become the gay anthem of 2015 or what?
Hit or Miss?
*Official Apple Music Stream