Unholy

Sam Smith and Kim Petras joined forces for a track that immediately reshaped the pop landscape. Released on September 22, 2022, Unholy arrived as the second single from Smith's fourth album, Gloria, before appearing as a bonus cut on Petras' debut record, Feed the Beast. The song blends electropop, synth-pop, and dance rhythms with choral textures, creating a sound that feels both familiar and jarringly new. Its lyrics paint a picture of infidelity at a strip club, driven by a Phrygian dominant scale that adds an exotic, unsettling tension to the melody.

The production team led by Cirkut, Ilya, and Blake Slatkin crafted a distinctive bassline and dark atmospheric synths to match the song's themes. Critics praised this bold sonic shift for Smith, noting how the collaboration between the two artists created a catchy yet dark anthem. The track quickly became one of the defining pop songs of 2022, topping charts in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand.

Cultural impact extended beyond sales numbers as the music video directed by Colin Tilley sparked conversations about queer representation and taboo desires. Madonna reportedly reached out to support Smith during a period of controversy surrounding the song's imagery. By August 2026, Smith reflected on how the release changed their public image, helping them find health and happiness while cementing the song's status as a major career milestone. [edit]