Every time they go into the studio, it seems like Sam Smith has a few questions rattling around in their brain: "What is subversion?" "What is a chorus?" and most poignantly, "How can I make music about sex that is so dull that the only people even remotely shocked by it are televangelists and an 11-year-old who just Googled 'two girls kissing' for the first time?'"
All of this is tied up into the singer's latest track, "Vulgar," a collab with Madonna in which the pair have sleepily rebranded as S&M. The song basically acts as "Unholy" 2, but without a chorus capable of going mega-viral on TikTok. In fact, there's basically no chorus at all, and they're aware of it! "Vulgar will make you dance, don't need a chorus," the pair sing over the bridge.
You would think that having six producers on the attempted anthem would at least mean "Vulgar" wouldn't sound like it was recorded into a 2007 Honda Civic's Bluetooth FM transmitter. Think again! The compression on this track almost sounds hyperpop-influenced, but for some reason, we don't think the pairing know what that term means.
We also must ask: is Madonna okay? Had her name not been so tied to "Vulgar" as its selling point, we'd have no idea it was actually her. Perhaps a rickety AI interpretation of what Madge sounds like nowadays? Who knows.
We are sitting on the edge of our seats to see how the Church of Satan — and Morrissey — feel about this one. Until then, fry your libido by listening below.
All of this is tied up into the singer's latest track, "Vulgar," a collab with Madonna in which the pair have sleepily rebranded as S&M. The song basically acts as "Unholy" 2, but without a chorus capable of going mega-viral on TikTok. In fact, there's basically no chorus at all, and they're aware of it! "Vulgar will make you dance, don't need a chorus," the pair sing over the bridge.
You would think that having six producers on the attempted anthem would at least mean "Vulgar" wouldn't sound like it was recorded into a 2007 Honda Civic's Bluetooth FM transmitter. Think again! The compression on this track almost sounds hyperpop-influenced, but for some reason, we don't think the pairing know what that term means.
We also must ask: is Madonna okay? Had her name not been so tied to "Vulgar" as its selling point, we'd have no idea it was actually her. Perhaps a rickety AI interpretation of what Madge sounds like nowadays? Who knows.
We are sitting on the edge of our seats to see how the Church of Satan — and Morrissey — feel about this one. Until then, fry your libido by listening below.
