(Capitol) Multi-Platinum, GRAMMY, BRIT, Golden Globe and Oscar winning artist and songwriter Sam Smith unveils their new single, "To Be Free." Carried by Sam's signature soaring vocals and buoyed by the accompaniment of the The TwoCity Chorus, the soulful acoustic song explores how vulnerability can unlock bravery and freedom. Sam co-wrote and produced the track with their longtime collaborator, Simon Aldred.
"I've never had a recording experience like I did making this song. It's one vocal and guitar take from start to finish - one live performance of me and my friend Simon Aldred in a pure state of music and expression," Sam Smith explains. "I wrote it five years ago while writing my last album Gloria and then parked it because I knew it was not a song for that album. It was created during a time in my life where I became free within myself."
Sam adds, "With this song, the visual of rivers kept coming into my mind and into my heart. I grew up next to a little river in Cambridgeshire in the countryside of England. Then I moved to London and lived by the Thames, and now I live by the Hudson River. Rivers have been in my life a lot. So I found it interesting to think of my music and my expression as an artist as a river. Over the last five years, Simon and I started to create music that fit into this world of 'To Be Free' and during this time, I've continued to turn to this song in happy moments, sad moments, lonely moments and angry moments. It's become my sister, my family member and ultimately calms me. Now, I'm ready to let it go and hopefully it can do the same for someone else."
Taking the song's fearless intimacy one step further, Sam announces "To Be Free: New York City" - a 12-night residency at Warsaw, a historic Brooklyn venue that will give fans a rare chance to see them perform in an up close and intimate setting.
The artist ticket pre-sale for To Be Free: New York City will begin on Tuesday, July 29, at 10 am local time. The general onsale will begin on Friday, August 1, at 10 am local time.
Filmed at Warsaw, where the residency will take place, the official video for "To Be Free" bristles with an electric energy and a contagious sense of joy as The TwoCity Chorus, heard on the single, pour into the venue to join Sam for a powerful performance of the song. The TwoCityChorus is a collective of recording artists from Philadelphia and New York City. With the help of Sam's frequent collaborator Ant Clemons, the chorus was curated by Brandon Pain. (LA)HORDE directed, after previously choreographing the video for Sam's global smash single "Unholy" Ft. Kim Petras. (LA)HORDE is a collective of three artists: Marine Brutti, Jonathan Debrouwer and Arthur Harel working at the intersection of choreography, film, installation, and performance. Together they direct the Ballet National de Marseille. Says, Marine Brutti, "Sam's performance offers a return to essence: a voice, a presence, and a gathering. The simplicity is striking and elemental. Nothing more than what is needed. Everything focused, distilled. Sam sings at the center of it all. The room begins to lift - bodies floating, carried by sound, surrender, and trust. We close with Sam in the heart of the crowd. Eyes closed. A leap of faith. A moment of freedom, fully lived." Sam has also once again collaborated with Andreas Kronthaler with custom looks from Vivienne Westwood that reflect the music's return to classicism and timelessness, with its narrative of love, acceptance and, ultimately, inner peace and joy.
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