'At the end of these 13 tracks and 33 minutes, you wind up happy for Smith amid their new era of self-proclaimed 'liberation,' but wishing they had expanded these musical ideas further. But it’s a nice first draft,' kyndallrene writes.
opens with “Love Me More,” an update on Smith’s feelings about their body image and self-esteem. Initially, the song sounds like one of Lizzo or Meghan Trainor’s body-positive, #yasqueen anthems. But there’s less certainty and confidence at play here; Smith admits they’re still struggling, singing over an organ, “Every day I’m tryin’ not to hate myself / But lately, it’s not hurting like it did before.” It’s refreshingly honest, but the song still isn’t raw enough to push the needle.
Queerness and acceptance are indeed the big themes on these songs, and thankfully, Smith refrains from exploring them in too trite a manner. The 30-year-old musician is living in the moment and collecting mistakes rather than showing off a new-and-improved version of themselves. In that way, R&B-leaning tracks like “Perfect” and “Six Shots” revel in the joys of imperfection and the thrill of romantic messiness.
“I’m Not Here To Make Friends,” a collaboration with Calvin Harris and Jessie Reyez , is a standout dance track that begins with RuPaul’s famous “if you can’t love yourself…” soundbite. That kind of lyrical quirk would usually invite mockery , but the song instantly rejects the drag queen’s self-loving message in a rather funny way, as Smith announces his desperate plea for romance over a bouncy disco beat.
Unfortunately, that’s the last bit of fun Smith has before the album fizzles out. Title track “Gloria” is a straight-up operatic hymn and not just a loose interpretation on the Latin word for “glory.” Onlast November, Smith described Gloria as a “spirit” and a “feeling” and sings directly to it in the song. However, the idea behind it and Smith’s commitment to liturgical music doesn’t really justify its existence on the album, making it feel entirely out of place.
Then there’s the closing track, “Who We Love,” which has the same schmaltzy vibe as Dua Lipa’s feminist rallying cry “Boys Will Be Boys” at the end of her otherwise excellent sophomore album. Both tracks are boring, conventional ballads recycling overused jargon, and “Who We Love” commits the grave sin of featuring Smith’s British comrade Ed Sheeran, whose slight gravelly tenor doesn’t meld at all with Smith’s seductive croon.
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