Sam Smith announces return to music with ‘special’ new song
Sam Smith at the 2025 Met Gala. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Sam Smith at the 2025 Met Gala. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Sam Smith has confirmed that new music is coming in the form of a “special” new track.
The “Unholy” singer teased the release of “To Be Free” on their Instagram profile on Tuesday (22 July) with a series of posts each revealing a new aspect of the song. It marks the new music from Smith since 2023’s Gloria.
First, the 33-year-old shared a clip of themselves in the recording studio listening to their A cappella track. The lyrics “Floating like a feather / Hope waits down the line,” can be heard, delicately sung with Smith’s characteristic soul. These were also included in the post’s caption along with the lines, “Pray your heart be lighter / Brave and free like mine.”
The next post confirming the track’s title was another clip showing Smith recording the song. A blue tint was used for the video in which Smith can be heard singing, “Take off all your burdens.” Smith then shared a blue-tinted image of New York, which they said was “The city I now call home,” taken from the Hudson River.
They also gave more information about the song. “I wrote this song with my dear friend Simon Aldred. It’s one vocal and guitar take from start to finish, made complete by the beautiful injection of the incredible choir we’ve been working with across this new project,” they said.
“‘To Be Free’ was written 5 years ago. It’s more than special to me,” Smith went on to say. They also confirmed the release date and time for the song would be Thursday 24 July at 5pm BST and 12pm Eastern Standard Time in the US.
The final post appears to be from a music video. It sees people running into a bar and dancing, in contrast to the stripped back, acoustic nature of the song. In the caption Smith wrote, “Your excitement for To Be Free is everything. Can’t wait for you to hear this one.”
The teasers suggest it discusses living authentically and even possible Smith’s journey to their non-binary identity specifically. Smith came out as non-binary in 2019 after coming out as gay in 2014. In 2022 they told GQ, “I’ve always felt queer. I’ve always felt gender non-conforming. And I’ve always felt non-binary trans. My whole life.”
“Cannot wait,” wrote one fan in the comments on one of the posts which was echoed across the board. “And just like that… a kiss of heaven,” someone put under one of the teasers. A fan account added, “This song about to go platinum in my house.”
Meanwhile, others commented on Smith’s vocal performance with one person remarking, “This is the sam we fell in love with.” Another added, “I love your voice… Already Loving this song.”
Smith hasn’t released any new music since Gloria in 2023, which featured their chart-topping collaboration with Kim Petras, “Unholy.” The “Stay With Me” singer has since performed with the BBC Proms, releasing an album from that, as well as collaborating with other artists.
Last June they launched the LGBTQ+ charity, The Pink House, to help “secure a happy home” for queer people. Named after the singer’s childhood home, The Pink House, which is still being set up based on the website, will be “a safe creative space, free to visit anytime, filled with shared experience and pathways to better wellbeing” for LGBTQ+ people.
“To Be Free” is available on Thursday 25 July from 5pm BST and 12pm ET.
