A decade after they released it, pop singer Sam Smith returns to their success — and this time, they're up for something fresh.
In one note by email to their fans, Smith shared that they recorded a brand new version of “Stay With Me” in honor of its 10th anniversary and changed one of the song's lyrics in the process. “This song is really so special to me, so for the 10 year anniversary I re-recorded the track, which will be available on all platforms and physical,” they said in the message. “Including the updated lyric 'but I still need love, baby got it' which felt very important to me. It's nice to know that sometimes, we can change the past.”
The song's opening verse saw Smith say that they “still need love, 'cause I'm just a man.” In 2019, Smith publicly came out as non-binary, changing their pronouns to they/them. In subsequent live performances of the song since then – including the Gloria world tour – the singer has often changed the verse live.
Smith also changed the song's lyrics even further when he appeared at the White House to commemorate the passing of the Respect for Marriage Act in 2022. To mark the occasion, Smith changed a verse in the track's chorus from “This ain't love, it's clear to see” to “This is love, it's plain to see.”
Elsewhere in their statement, Smith reflected on the process of writing and recording “Stay With Me,” thanking collaborators Jimmy Napes and Tourist for helping them express complex emotions through music. “When me, Jimmy and Tourist wrote this song, none of us could have expected it to become what it has,” they wrote. “I'll never forget Will (Tourist) playing those three chords on the piano. I stopped everything I was doing and said “what is this”. Those chords and that song still move me the same way to this day. I never get tired of singing it.”
Upon its release in 2014, “Stay With Me” became an international hit for the then relatively unknown Smith. Debuting at No. 68 on the Billboard Hot 100 shortly after its release, “Stay With Me” steadily climbed the chart to reach its No. 2 peak in August, a career high for the singer until the smash hit -their hit “Unholy”. No. 1 in October 2022.
Pre-orders for Smith's 10th Anniversary Edition In the lonely hour – including their new version of “Stay With Me” — are available at singer's website. Listen to the original version of the track below:
from our partners at https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/sam-smith-stay-with-me-re-record-new-lyrics-1235727972/
