Kim Petras and Sam Smith are teaming up with a new collaboration that’s already got fans talking.
“Unholy” is described as an “ambitious departure” for Smith, a “menacing sound collage with instant club appeal.” And to any fans of the singer’s previous work, it will immediately become clear just how accurate that description is in the opening bars of the track.
Petras comes in as a featured singer on the second verse, balancing Smith’s bold vocals with her own recognizable edgy pop sound as she takes on the role of the other woman in the story Smith tells about a husband cheating on his wife.
Smith called working on “Unholy” “one of the most glorious creative moments I’ve ever had as an artist” as they gushed over working with the “Heart to Break” singer.
“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 continued.
For her part, Petras praised Smith for their writing and having “a vision that’s their own,” noting that “they really believed in me and encouraged me to be totally myself.”
“Unholy” is set to be part of Smith’s fourth studio album, although a title and release date have yet to be made public. In an interview with Billboard, they talked about becoming more involved with the producing side of things this time around, and moving from themes of heartbreak to themes of joy.
While a song about an adulterous husband might not fit cleanly into the “joy” box, in this particular scenario, it’s clearly far from heartbreak as well, and seems to be marking a pointed new turn for Smith all the same.
“It’s time for my villain era, I think,” they told ET in regards to the song. “Time to get sexy.”
Update on Monday, October 3, 2022:
Smith and Petras’ “Unholy” has officially debuted at no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is Petras’ highest-charting song ever.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
Rachel Kiley is presumably a writer and definitely not a terminator. She can usually be found crying over queerbaiting in the Pitch Perfect franchise or on Twitter, if not both.
