After an 18-month break from writing, Sam Smith is back with the release of his new album, The Thrill of It All. The revealing album is an exposé of the struggles he has faced over the past few years in regards to his religion, self-doubt, and sexuality. Smith struggled to write about himself because, in reality, he didn’t like the person he was as he spent most nights out drinking and feeling depressed. However, his career was far from over.

Smith gathered all of his dark feelings into this album, which is a contrast to his previous album, In the Lonely Hour, which has a happier tone. After ending a six-month relationship, Smith took the breakup well, but realized he still had a long way to go to find self-love again. Smith turned to his music and wrote songs such as “Burning” and “Too Good at Goodbyes,” which describes the emotional result of a damaged relationship. His mood began to turn again, for the better, as he started to love himself more and began writing happier songs, such as “Baby, You Make Me Crazy.”

Although the songs are more upbeat in this release, they also have a sad feel to them. As he continued to write, Smith described his singing sessions as “therapy” as they helped him begin to love himself again by putting his thoughts into music.

After releasing his new album’s first single “Too Good at Goodbyes” in September, Smith was overwhelmed with happiness as it immediately became a Top Five hit and received more than 110 million streams on Spotify quickly. This gave him a sense of relief because before the release he was afraid to issue new songs, but after receiving positive feedback, it prompted him to be more confident and happy.

Overall, this album received positive reviews from both fans and critics, with The State Hornet, a Sacramento newspaper, saying, “The Thrill of It All” is a collection of 10 songs that take listeners on a “thrill” ride through the different stages of love and life.” With this album, Smith proves that even though he may not be the best when it comes to relationships, he is a force to be reckoned with in the music industry.