Sam Smith Wears Their Heart on Their Sleeve With the Lovestruck ‘Hazel Eyes’: Album Review

Measuring the true scope of Sam Smith's impact on modern pop music often proves deceptively challenging, given the sheer weight of their accomplishments. With five Grammy Awards to their name, roughly 65 million records sold worldwide, and nearly 60 billion streams accumulated over a twelve-year career, the numbers alone tell a story of remarkable staying power. Smith, who uses they/them pronouns, has also contributed a James Bond theme song and delivered multiple chart-topping singles across various continents. It was the 2014 smash "Stay With Me" that initially launched them into international stardom, a ballad that went on to redefine the contours of contemporary pop sentimentality for an entire generation of listeners.

Following three multiplatinum albums that largely adhered to a familiar sonic blueprint, Smith's 2023 release "Gloria" represented a deliberate and striking departure. The record, propelled by the darkly magnetic hit "Unholy," served as an audacious declaration of artistic emancipation. It seamlessly blended divergent genres, from the euphoric dance-pop energy of "I'm Not Here to Make Friends" to the ornate, introspective nuances of its title track. Beyond the musical shift, "Gloria" pushed the boundaries of Smith's public image, particularly through the unapologetically provocative themes embedded in "Unholy." Although Smith had long been candid about their identity, they had never before ventured into such fearless, overt self-expression within their artistry. Notably, "Unholy" became Smith's first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 in nearly a decade, underscoring the commercial viability of their newfound boldness.

Now, in the wake of that liberating yet demanding phase, Smith has orchestrated yet another dramatic reinvention with their latest studio effort, "Hazel Eyes." This time, however, the creative catalyst springs from a deeply intimate wellspring. With track titles like "My Guy," "Everlasting Love," and "Constant Companion" — reinforced by the album's cover art — it becomes evident that Smith is wholly immersed in a romantic relationship, and that this love narrative forms the record's emotional backbone, though certain songs also delve into the friction and volatility that accompany any meaningful partnership. Adding another layer to this evolution, the singer has relocated from their native England to New York City, characterizing the album as a "heartfelt love letter" to their new home. Interestingly, the record's often minimalist, hushed arrangements create a compelling tension against the frenetic tempo typically associated with the metropolis. Music critic Amelia Hartley of Pop Perspectives notes, "This is Smith stripping away the theatrical gloss to reveal something far more vulnerable — a move that feels both brave and timely in an era of overproduced pop spectacles."

In the album's accompanying press materials, Smith articulates a persuasive rationale for this newfound candor: "In the world we're living in right now, singing about queer love with complete honesty and directness feels very important." While this sentiment echoes previous declarations, the musical realization is wholly unprecedented. As glimpsed during their recent residency performances in Brooklyn and San Francisco, the songs on "Hazel Eyes" gravitate toward acoustic arrangements, featuring deliberate tempos, restrained percussion, and lush, expansive backing vocals. Almost nothing here recalls the singles from "Gloria," marking a stylistic pivot unlike anything in Smith's discography to date. The understated production may initially cause certain tracks to blur together, yet attentive listening uncovers impressive diversity, spanning the brooding, rhythmically charged "Moondance," the aching vulnerability of "My Guy," the ethereal "Thief," and the gospel-infused "Oh Mother." The poignant piano piece "Love Is a Stillness" is only slightly diminished by an unnecessary whistling interlude, while the unabashedly sentimental "Sugar Rush" concludes with doo-wop voices chanting "Sammy wants the sugar."

Smith has also assembled an entirely new creative collective for this project. Whereas "Gloria" relied on a cadre of established hitmakers, the new album finds Smith collaborating closely with co-producers and co-writers Simon Aldred — a frequent partner of Avicii and Liam Gallagher who had previously worked with Smith during their early career — and David Odlum, celebrated for his contributions to records by Glen Hansard and Josh Ritter. The album further benefits from appearances by Feist, multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, string arranger Rob Moose (whose portfolio includes work with Bon Iver and Phoebe Bridgers), vocalist Moses Sumney, and the 28-member TwoCity Chorus Choir. Curiously, the final two tracks bear the strongest resemblance to Smith's earlier sound: the soulful "Hold On" features a stirring chorus that structurally echoes "Stay With Me," while the closing "To Be Free" unfolds as a breathtaking ballad, beginning with delicate guitar and piano before ascending to a majestic crescendo, only to gently recede for its resolution. At 34, Smith is navigating the middle stretch of their career with an album that feels simultaneously restrained and audacious, leaving ample room for whatever artistic direction they might chart next.