Sam Smith Gloria
Released Jan 27, 2023 Capitol Records UK / EMI
Consensus forming 3 professional reviews Updated Oct 7, 2026
Split critical consensus
Consensus is still forming across 3 professional reviews. Sam Smith's Gloria opens with a bold reorientation from plaintive balladry to brazen, sensual pop, and critics largely agree the record's strongest moments vindicate that shift.
How ChoruScore worksCritics' Top Tracks
The songs critics returned to most
Unholy
3 critic mentions
“sounds that have seldom been heard from major pop acts of their kind (“Unholy”).” — The Line of Best Fit
How To Cry
1 critic mention
“In contrast, ‘How To Cry’ reveals Sam’s emotion-driven self, with simple acoustic guitar and incredible vocals;” — Hot Press
Love Me More
2 critic mentions
“Love Me More” preaches self-love over a church organ and gospel choir backdrop” — The Line of Best Fit
Full critic consensus
Sam Smith's Gloria opens with a bold reorientation from plaintive balladry to brazen, sensual pop, and critics largely agree the record's strongest moments vindicate that shift. Across three professional reviews, the collection earned a 63.33/100 consensus score, with reviewers pointing to early highlights like “Love Me More” and “No God” as evidence of genuine ambition and “Unholy” as the album's unmistakable breakout moment.
Critics consistently praise the album's themes of self-love, sexuality, and self-acceptance, noting how Smith tests boundaries with collaborations and dance-infused production. Reviewers singled out “Love Me More” for its choir-studded, organ-backed plea and “No God” for its hook, while “Unholy” earned repeated notice as a chart-ready, boundary-breaking standout; “Lose You” and “Gimme” also appear as notable supporting tracks. The consensus from professional reviews frames Gloria as a record that often succeeds when it strips back to emotional clarity or leans into confident pop statements.
At the same time, some critics warn that the album's ambition is uneven - several songs fall toward generic pop production and collaborations that dilute Smith's vocal strengths. The overall critical narrative is mixed-positive: praise for the record's sexiness, freedom and thematic cohesion, tempered by observations about execution and over-polishing. For readers wondering whether Gloria is worth listening to, the answer in reviews is conditional - its best songs are essential listening, while its weaker moments make the full experience uneven. Below, the detailed reviews unpack where those highs and lows land in Smith's evolving catalog.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
Love Me More
No God
Hurting Interlude
Lose You
Perfect
Unholy
How To Cry
Six Shots
Gimme
Dorothy's Interlude
I'm Not Here To Make Friends
Gloria
Who We Love
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 3 critics who reviewed this album
Ho
Critic's Take
Sam Smith pokes and prods at their template on Gloria, trading familiar balladry for brazen pop moments and collaborative flair. The review revels in the album's sexiness and honesty, pointing to “Love Me More” and “Unholy” as immediate hooks and to “Gimme” as a sensual, down-tempo highlight. It praises “How To Cry” for its simple acoustic setting and incredible vocals, and singles out “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” for warm strings and slick production. Even the contentious Ed Sheeran duet “Who We Love” is folded into a record the reviewer calls first-class pop with soul.
Key Points
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Gimme stands out for its sensual, down-tempo groove and notable guest features.
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Gloria's strengths are bold collaborations, polished pop production, and Sam's powerful vocals.
Themes
Critic's Take
Sam Smith arrives with Gloria, a record that pivots from sad balladry into confident, sensual pop while still holding on to heart. The review names “Unholy” as the undisputed banger, praising its chart-topping, boundary-breaking shock and cheeky family-betrayal lyrics, and highlights the pulsating dance-pop of “Lose You” and the sleek sexiness of “Gimme” as strong supporting tracks. These best tracks on Gloria show Smith stretching sonically while keeping emotional directness, with “Unholy” the clearest exemplar of that shift. The album reads as a step toward self-acceptance and sonic risk-taking rather than a retreat into familiar sadness.
Key Points
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The best song, “Unholy”, is the album's breakout banger that shifts Smith from sad ballads to bold, boundary-breaking pop.
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Gloria's core strengths are its blend of soul-tinged pop with pulsating dance grooves and sleek, sexy production that underline themes of self-acceptance and growth.
Themes
Critic's Take
Sam Smith’s Gloria is at its clearest and most compelling on the opening pair, where “Love Me More” preaches self-love over a church organ and choir, and “No God” serves up one of the record’s best hooks. Riley Moquin judges that those early moments show the ambition behind Gloria, but the rest of the album too often sinks into bland pop - tracks like “Perfect”, “Gimme”, and “Who We Love” underline that shortfall. The review sings Smith’s strengths when they step away from viral designs, yet laments that collaborators and dance-infused production frequently dilute the singer’s voice and message. Overall, the best tracks on Gloria are the ones that let Smith breathe, notably “Love Me More” and “No God”.
Key Points
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“Love Me More” is best for its gospel-backed self-love and clarity of ambition.
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The album’s core strength is moments of experimentation, but production and features often dilute Smith’s voice.