Sam Smith Guarantees Nothing But A One-Night Stand On Calvin Harris’ “Promises”

Mike Nied | August 17, 2018 1:01 am

Calvin Harris links up with Sam Smith on his new single, “Promises.” The twosome announced the release earlier this week and have been lighting up Instagram with a handful of cute pics together ever since. Today (August 17), the anthem has arrived, and it eclipses any expectations. Over a sensual production, the “One Last Song” singer searches for a temporary love affair on the dance floor. “Are you drunk enough not to judge what I’m doing? Are you high enough to excuse that I’m ruined,” he soulfully intones on the opening lines. Moving into the chorus, he makes his final proposal. “I make no promises. I can’t do golden rings. But I’ll give you everything,” he vows.

Featured vocalist Jessie Reyez hops on to clarify that this relationship will only last for the night. An earnest one-night stand anthem? I stan. Reyez’s contribution is minimal, but her delivery adds a flirty edge to Sam’s promises. Based on the photos that have been appearing online, I wouldn’t be surprised if a music video is in the works. A lyric video has already arrived, and it is a lo-fi, glittery delight complete with a disco ball and some slinky choreography. Although the grainy footage is pretty accurate to a night out searching for a lover in the clubs, it would be nice to see something with a bit more plot.

The collaboration comes at a particularly good time for Sam. Earlier this week he found himself in a bit of hot water over a comment he made about Michael Jackson. It drew the ire of fans and a handful of celebrities (including Stephanie Mills). However, this is sure to serve as a fitting distraction. It is nice to hear the “Too Good At Goodbyes” crooner on a dance track again. He previously showed his chops in the genre (and landed his first hit) with a feature on Disclosure’s “Latch” and then followed it up with the even bigger Naughty Boy collaboration, ”La La La.” But he hasn’t strayed far from his soul roots since a feature on Disclosure’s “Omen” in 2015.

With any luck, his return will net both acts another international hit. This would be Calvin’s second for the summer. The “Feels” hitmaker teamed up with Dua Lipa on “One Kiss,” and the floorfiller is a serious Song Of The Summer contender. It topped the charts in the UK and across most of Europe, went Top 10 in multiple other countries and landed at number 26 on the Billboard Hot 100. Meanwhile Sam released a remix with Logic and rode his Timbaland-produced “Pray” into the Top 40 in the UK. Listen to “Promises” below!

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