Unholy (Sam Smith and Kim Petras song)

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"Unholy"
A black and white picture of Sam Smith resting their hand on Kim Petras's shoulder as she is sticking her tongue out. The word "Unholy" is written at the bottom in white letters, with the H stylised to resemble a crucifix.
Single by Sam Smith and Kim Petras
from the album Gloria
Released22 September 2022
Genre
Length2:36
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Sam Smith singles chronology
"Love Me More"
(2022) 		"Unholy"
(2022)
Kim Petras singles chronology
"Running Up That Hill"
(2022) 		"Unholy"
(2022) 		"If Jesus Was a Rockstar"
(2022)
Music video
"Unholy" on YouTube

"Unholy" is a song by British singer Sam Smith and German singer Kim Petras, released on 22 September 2022 as the lead single from Smith's upcoming fourth studio album Gloria (2023).[2][3]

"Unholy" entered at the top of the UK Singles Chart. Outside the United Kingdom, "Unholy" topped the charts in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United States, becoming both Smith's and Petras' first chart topper in the latter, and peaked within the top ten of the charts in Petras' native Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, and the top 20 in Belgium, France, Indonesia and Italy.

Background and composition

The track was first teased on 18 August 2022 through a clip on TikTok, in which Smith lip-syncs the chorus while Petras dances in a recording studio.[4] The track went viral on the platform, spurring dance trends.[5] Disclosure also teased the song, playing their remix of it in live sets.[6] On 25 August, Smith announced the track's title and a pre-save link.[7] Petras name-drops Barbadian singer Rihanna in her verse.

The song features a choir and hyperpop sounds.[8] Smith explained the creative process and the meaning of the song:[9]

"Unholy" was made in Jamaica and was one of the most glorious creative moments I've ever had as an artist. [...] 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.

The song is written in Phrygian dominant mode.

Critical reception

Writing for the British edition of GQ, Jeremy Atherton Lin said that the "duet between non-binary and trans vocalists [...] flips the script" and is "infused with femme power".[10] Anaiah B. Thomas of The Harvard Crimson called the song Smith's "hottest release yet" and complimented the "hauntingly mesmerizing production" and how Smith and Petras, in spite of the "gulf between their respective genres", complemented each other on the track vocally, contrasting "Smith's sobering power" with "Petras's femme fatale".[11] Writing for American Songwriter, Alli Patton praised the "pulsating, dance-heavy beats" driving the track as the "lusty, sing-a-long lyrics" added a level of "intrigue", concluding by calling the song "deliciously debaucherous".[12]

Commercial performance

"Unholy" entered atop the UK Singles Chart on 30 September 2022, becoming Smith's eighth UK number-one to date (putting them on par with Oasis and the Rolling Stones) and Petras's first, having racked up 5.9 million streams in the UK in its first week.[13] The song also debuted at number one on the ARIA Singles Chart, making it Smith's second number-one single in Australia and Petras's first.[14]

In the US, the song debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the chart issue dated 8 October 2022.[15] It earned Petras her first career entry on the chart and became Smith's seventh top ten on the chart,[15] as well as the eighth song to debut in the top three of the Hot 100 in 2022.[16] It ascended to number 2 in its second week on the chart, blocked from the top by Steve Lacy's "Bad Habit". In its fourth week, it reached number 1, becoming the first song from either artist to reach the top of the charts and Smith's highest charting single, surpassing 2014's "Stay with Me" which peaked at number 2.[17] The song reaching the top of the Hot 100 made history as Petras became the first openly transgender woman to reach number 1 on the chart, and Smith became the first openly non-binary person to do so.[18] The collaboration tallied 25.3 million streams, 21.5 million radio airplay audience impressions and 19,000 downloads sold.[17]

Music video

The song's music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, was released on 30 September 2022. The visual features a woman observing a sexually-charged cabaret show at "The Body Shop" after receiving an invitation to the club. Smith appears as the MC of the club surrounded by androgynous burlesque dancers, joined by RuPaul's Drag Race alums Violet Chachki and Gottmik. Petras then arrives onstage in a heart-shaped lyra before dancing atop a prop car dressed in an outfit reminiscent of Madonna.[19] The "erotic" video, inspired by A Clockwork Orange and Bob Fosse, also features a cameo from gay porn star Paddy O'Brian as a customer.[20]

Official remixes

  • Digital download and streaming (Disclosure remix)[21]
  1. "Unholy" (Disclosure remix) – 3:54
  • Digital download and streaming (Disclosure extended remix)[22]
  1. "Unholy" (Disclosure extended remix) – 5:01
  • Digital download and streaming (ACRAZE remix)[23]
  1. "Unholy" (ACRAZE remix) – 2:57

Charts

Chart performance for "Unholy"
Chart (2022) Peak
position
Argentina (Argentina Hot 100)[24] 69
Australia (ARIA)[25] 1
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[26] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[27] 11
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[28] 6
Brazil (Billboard)[29] 7
Bulgaria (PROPHON)[30] 3
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[31] 1
Canada CHR/Top 40 (Billboard)[32] 9
Canada Hot AC (Billboard)[33] 31
Croatia (HRT)[34] 5
Croatia (Billboard)[35] 4
Czech Republic (Singles Digitál Top 100)[36] 2
Denmark (Tracklisten)[37] 3
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[38] 3
France (SNEP)[39] 8
Germany (Official German Charts)[40] 3
Global 200 (Billboard)[41] 1
Greece International (IFPI)[42] 1
Hungary (Single Top 40)[43] 3
Hungary (Stream Top 40)[44] 1
Iceland (Plötutíðindi)[45] 4
Indonesia (Billboard)[46] 10
Ireland (IRMA)[47] 1
Italy (FIMI)[48] 18
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[49] 10
Lithuania (AGATA)[50] 1
Luxembourg (Billboard)[51] 1
Malaysia (Billboard)[52] 3
Malaysia International (RIM)[53] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[54] 3
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[55] 1
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[56] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[57] 2
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[58] 45
Philippines (Billboard)[59] 5
Portugal (AFP)[60] 2
Romania (Billboard)[61] 2
Romania (Romanian Radio Airplay)[62] 6
Romania (Romania TV Airplay)[63] 7
Singapore (RIAS)[64] 1
Slovakia (Singles Digitál Top 100)[65] 1
South Africa (RISA)[66] 4
South Korea (Circle)[67] 120
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[68] 35
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[69] 4
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[70] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[71] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[72] 1
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[73] 18
US Dance/Mix Show Airplay (Billboard)[74] 10
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[75] 9
US Rhythmic (Billboard)[76] 40
Vietnam (Vietnam Hot 100)[77] 19

Certifications

Certifications for "Unholy"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[78] Gold 35,000double-dagger
New Zealand (RMNZ)[79] Gold 15,000double-dagger
United Kingdom (BPI)[80] Silver 200,000double-dagger

double-dagger Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release history and formats for "Unholy"
Region Date Format Version Label Ref.
Various 22 September 2022
Original
[2]
United States 27 September 2022 Contemporary hit radio Capitol [81]
Italy 30 September 2022 Radio airplay Universal [82]
Various 14 October 2022
  • Digital download
  • streaming
 Disclosure remix
  • Capitol
  • EMI
 [21]
Disclosure extended remix [22]
17 October 2022 ACRAZE remix [23]

References

  1. ^ Molanphy, Chris (29 October 2022). "America's New No. 1 Song Is Both a Big Step Forward and a Total Throwback". Stereogum. Retrieved 29 May 2022. It’s standard-issue EDM pop that, frankly, could’ve come out a decade ago...
  2. ^ a b Skinner, Tom (23 September 2022). "Sam Smith teams up with Kim Petras on throbbing new single 'Unholy'". NME. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  3. ^ Patton, Alli (25 September 2022). "Sam Smith Drops 'Unholy' Collaboration with Kim Petras". American Songwriter. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  4. ^ "Sam Smith on TikTok". Retrieved 7 September 2022 – via TikTok.
  5. ^ "Sam Smith and Kim Petras spark TikTok trend with their new song 'Unholy'". Indy100. 5 September 2022. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  6. ^ Lugen, Mikala. "Watch Disclosure Drop Massive Unreleased Remix of Kim Petras and Sam Smith's "Unholy"". EDM.com. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  7. ^ Skinner, Tom (26 August 2022). "Sam Smith and Kim Petras announce collaborative new single 'Unholy'". NME. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  8. ^ Mier, Tomás (22 September 2022). "Sam Smith and Kim Petras Are No Saints on New Single 'Unholy'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
  9. ^ Skinner, Tom (23 September 2022). "Sam Smith teams up with Kim Petras on throbbing new single 'Unholy'". NME. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  10. ^ Lin, Jeremy Atherton (28 September 2022). "The radical liberation of Sam Smith". British GQ. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
  11. ^ Thomas, Anaiah B. "'Unholy' Review: Sam Smith's Hottest Release Yet". The Harvard Crimson. Retrieved 2 October 2022.
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