With just one week until the release of his sophomore album The Thrill of It All, Sam Smith has shared a third track from the LP, following lead single “Too Good at Goodbyes” and the Timbaland-produced “Pray.”
“Burning,” a simple piano-led ballad, kicks off with a capella vocals from Smith and climaxes with a gospel-style chorus, much like its predecessors. On it, Smith tries to reconcile regret and come to terms with a bridge he seemingly burned, singing:
“I’ve been burning / Yes, I’ve been burning / Such a burden / This flame on my chest / No insurance / To pay for the damage / Yeah, I’ve been burning up since you left / Oh, if you ever called / I would run straight back / Give you my forgiveness / And the shirt off my back / No friends to turn to / Yeah, I messed up that…”
Smith explained the track’s magnitude on BBC Radio 1’s Annie Mac Show, saying, “This song is actually my favorite song from the album. It’s the most personal song I’ve ever written in my life.” Hear “Burning” below (1:26 mark).
‘The Thrill of It All’ is due November 3.