Featured Photo Credit: Michael Bailey Gates
The soundtrack to TikTok thirst traps is finally here! Sam Smith and Kim Petras have unleashed their bold new collaboration “Unholy.”
The track begins with an acapella, choir-like harmony that builds to a sultry verse, and throbbing bass-heavy chorus. The track calls out a fictional cheating husband who spends his time at the “body shop,” while Kim’s fierce verse gives voice to the dancer.
“The song is about liberating oneself from the clutches of others’ secrets…,” Sam explained.
Like the song, the production process was a liberating experience for both Sam and Kim. “‘Unholy’ was made in Jamaica and was one of the most glorious creative moments I’ve ever had as an artist. I’ve never had so much fun making a record. It was so cathartic and freeing to experiment like this and throw out the rule book. It has also been an honor to work with Kim and get to witness her brilliance,” they shared of the track produced with ILYA (Max Martin, Ariana Grande, Jennifer Lopez), Blake Slatkin (Lizzo, 24K Golden), Cirkut (Nikki Minaj, The Weeknd), Omer Fendi (Lil Nas X, The Kid Laroi) and long-time collaborator Jimmy Napes.
Kim added, “I am such a big fan of Sam. It is cool to meet another artist who is a really good writer and has a vision that’s their own. I had the best time in the studio with them. They really believed in me and encouraged me to be totally myself. I feel so honored that they chose me to be on this song.”
A departure from Sam’s usual ballads, the single builds excitement for their highly anticipated fourth studio album arriving 2023.
Listen to “Unholy” here!
Code Embed: No embed code was found for CODE!