Less than a month after the release of their new single, “To Die For,” singer Sam Smith has debuted a new acoustic version of the song.
Smith dropped the new recording March 13, which features a stripped-down musical accompaniment of piano and cello, along with an “ambient visual” which was filmed and recorded live in Los Angeles. The pop superstar’s vocals are placed front and center in a sentimental performance that evokes their earliest releases.
The original version, which was released on Valentine’s Day, was itself accompanied by a profound Grant Singer-directed video, in conjunction with the announcement of Smith’s long-awaited third album, “To Die For,” which is scheduled to drop May 1 on Capitol Records.
The original recording opens with a sample from the 2001 cult film “Donnie Darko,” pairing soaring strings and evocative piano with Smith’s distinctive vocals expressing their plaintive confession, “I just want somebody to die for.” The introspective tune was recorded with Jimmy Napes and Stargate, who also collaborated with Smith on 2017’s 4x US Platinum track, “Too Good At Goodbyes.” Smith also recently released a behind-the-scenes video about the making of their official video for the title track.
Since the release of their 2014 debut album, “In The Lonely Hour,” Smith has sold over 25 million adjusted albums worldwide, in addition to winning four Grammy Awards, an Oscar, a Golden Globe and three BRIT Awards.
Their second album, “The Thrill Of It All,” debuted in the number one spot on the Billboard 200 in 2017, also topping charts worldwide and was awarded four stars by Rolling Stone.
A 2019 collaboration with Normani, “Dancing with a Stranger,” sold more than 10 million units and racked up over 2 billion streams worldwide, becoming a No. 1 airplay hit in the U.S. and U.K. and achieving Platinum status in 19 countries. A follow up single, “How Do You Sleep?,” amassed over 600 million streams worldwide.
You can watch the video for the new acoustic version below.
