Sam Smith’s fourth album release is officially in motion. After releasing “Love Me More” in April, “Unholy,” the lead single to the new album, arrived today. Featuring German pop star and trans icon Kim Petras, the pair had previously teased the collab back in August. Now they’ve debuted “Unholy” with an… err, spiritual live performance for BBC Radio 1.
Backed by a choral section, “Unholy” is built on a double harmonic scale and features a distinct club thump. Smith sings about an unfaithful husband who slips away to a “body shop” and Petras sings from the viewpoint of the dancer that the nefarious husband is fawning over.
Smith trekked to Jamaica to produce the song and said, “‘Unholy’… 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. This song is about liberating oneself from the clutches of others’ secrets…” Petras said that Smith “really believed in me and encouraged me to be totally myself. I feel so honored that they chose me to be on this song.”
Watch Sam Smith and Kim Petras perform “Unholy” on the BBC Radio 1 Stage above.