In the Lonely Hour is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol Records. The album includes the singles "Lay Me Down" and "Money on My Mind". A deluxe edition of the album contains five bonus tracks, which inclues a solo acoustic version of Disclosure's single "Latch" and Naughty Boy's number-one single "La La La". The album peaked to number 1 on the UK Albums Chart.
The album includes production and co-songwriting from Fraser T Smith (Plan B, CeeLo Green), Two Inch Punch (Lianne La Havas), Simon Aldred and Eg White (Adele, Will Young).[1]
Background
It was announced on 16 December that Smith's debut studio album would be released on 26 May 2014 through Capitol Records. On 7 January 2014 Sam unveiled the artwork and tracklisting for the album. The standard edition of the album contains ten tracks which includes the singles "Lay Me Down" and "Money on My Mind".[2] In an interview with Digital Spy he describes the overarching theme of his album as "sad". Talking about the name of the album he said: "People are saying, 'Oh but it's too sad', but that's what it's about. I was sad and I wrote about being sad. Hopefully I'll be happier soon and I'll write about that."[1] In another interview with Digital Spy he was asked to describe the album, he said "My debut album is just a diary from a lonely 21-year-old. That's what it is. It was my way of talking about the only real issue in my life. I don't have that many sad things going on in my life and it was the only thing that was really affecting me last year: I fell in love with someone who didn't love me back, and it made me get into this head space of, 'Will I find love? When will I find love?' This album is my 'f**k off' to everyone and basically say, 'No, I have been in love and, if anything, it was much more painful than your version', because I'm not getting what I want and it's so close. So, it's my way of defining what is love, and how unrequited love is just as painful, just as powerful, as what we call 'normal' love."[3]
Singles
"Lay Me Down" was released as the lead single from the album on 15 February 2013. In January 2014 the song entered the UK Singles Chart at number 134 after Sam won the BBC Sound of 2014. "Money on My Mind" was released as the second single on 16 February 2014. The song has peaked to number 1 on the UK Singles Chart and number 4 on the Irish Singles Chart. The song has also charted in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. A music video for the song was first released onto YouTube on 12 January 2014.[4] "Stay With Me" was released as the third single on 18 May 2014 and went straight into the number one spot on the UK Singles Chart.
Other songs
A live version of album track "I've Told You Now", performed at St Pancras Old Church, was made available for free download as part of an Amazon.com promotion on 27 December 2013. "Make It To Me", co-written by Howard of Disclosure and Jimmy Napes, was made available for free download as part of an iTunes Store promotion on 13 January 2014. The song is featured on the deluxe version of the album.
Reception
Critical reception
The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. Harriet Gibsone of The Guardian gave the album a mixed review stating, "Last year, Sam Smith told the Observer he wanted to write an album for those who have never been in love. Having never "physically experienced" it himself, he was keen to give voice to the dejected. While his debut certainly wallows in sadness, he forgets that true misery is more than just rhyming couplets about pain and rain – it's an angry, unstable emotion, too. Where this LP fails is in its safeness: Smith has a gorgeous, expressive voice, but there's not enough rawness to "do an Adele", nor enough eeriness to follow Frank Ocean. The Brits Critics' Choice and BBC Sound of 2014 winner masters a modern sound – drawing from Ed Sheeran's intonation on Leave Your Lover, Emeli Sandé's gospel reverence during Stay With Me and often the Jessie J school of over-phrasing ("serr-tun"), and while he has talent and likability, it's a shame this album is not a little freakier, a little riskier – a little lonelier."[6] Lewis Corner of Digital Spy gave the album a positive review stating, "In The Lonely Hour rarely veers from polished piano, burnished strings and wispy guitars - and compared to the crowd-leading electronics of Disclosure's 'Latch' and earworm hooks of Naughty Boy's 'La La La', some may consider it a regression for Smith. While production does feel relatively safe throughout, it's in Sam's lyrics of confession, pain and longing where the album is unguarded and, in return, empowered. It's a debut that dwells on the quieter moments in life, and by doing so, makes the biggest impact."[5]
Commercial performance
On 28 May 2014 the album was at number one on the The Official Chart Update in the UK, outselling Coldplay's album Ghost Stories by nearly 20,000 copies.[7] On 29 May 2014 the album entered the Irish Albums Chart at number 2. On 1 June 2014 the album entered the UK Albums Chart at number 1, the album has also peaked to number 2 in Scotland.
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