Sam Smith wants you to “move like Madonna.” The hitmaker and the Queen of pop have joined forces on “Vulgar,” a club-ready anthem destined to get partygoers dancing. Smith and Madonna officially released the highly anticipated techno track on Friday (June 9) via Capitol Records. The bold and fearless anthem embodies Smith and Madonna at their very core—unapologetic musicians.
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The fiery lyrics clap back at critics for their repression, as each razor-sharp verse demands respect. The heart-thumping track, intertwined with a string break from a contemporary orchestra, was inspired by Madonna’s speech at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
Madonna introduced Smith and Kim Petras to the stage during the star-studded affair. Before the two strutted into the spotlight, the icon spoke about Smith’s undeniable character and superstar potential.
“Are you ready for some controversy?” Madonna asked the crowd. “If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative, or dangerous – You are definitely onto something,” she pointed out.
With their fifth Grammy under their belt for the smash hit “Unholy,” Smith went directly to the studio to keep up the positive momentum. This time, the hitmaker was in the presence of greatness—Madonna. The two worked tirelessly to curate a fierce duet representing each word in the eye-opening speech.
Look like I’m dressed to kill, love how I make me feel | All black in stripper heels, move like Madonna | Rich like I’m in the Louvre, got nothin’ left to prove | You know you’re beautiful when they call you vulgar | I do what I wanna, I go when I gotta | I’m sexy, I’m free, and I feel, sings Smith.
Let’s get into the groove, you know just what to do | Boy, get down on your knees ’cause I am Madonna |If you fuck with Sam tonight, you’re fucking with me |So watch what you say, or I’ll split your banana |We do what we wanna, we say what we gotta | We’re sexy and free and we feel,” adds Madonna.
Smith produced “Vulgar” alongside ILYA Cirkut, Omer Fedi, Ryan Tedder, Jimmy Napes, and Madonna’s vocal producer and engineer, Lauren D’Elia.
The electrifying collaboration has been a long-time coming, as Smith teased the hit a few weeks back and introduced their branding, “S&M.” The chart-topping artist turned to social media on the morning of the release to open up about the track.
“VULGAR is a song that is very special to me. Me, the QUEEN, and a group of some of the most talented people I know got in the studio the day after the Grammys, and we created this piece of music,” wrote Smith. “The creativity was pure, and the energy was alive. I’m so excited to share this with you, sailors!! VULGAR IS BEAUTIFUL!!”
“Vulgar” comes on the heels of Smith’s critically acclaimed album, Gloria. On the other hand, Madonna recently dropped “Popular” with The Weeknd and Playboi Carti. The household name is scheduled to embark on her world tour in July, which will celebrate her four-decade-long career.
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