As everyone who reads my reviews knows, I reviewed Sam’s last two albums, which were less than complimentary. Straight up, brutally honest about how they sounded the same as his debut. He left his comfort zone twice on the last record, and every song sounded like the previous. However, this time, I am pleased to inform you he has left his comfort zone when tackling new genres. He has, on the main, stuck with his usual falsetto vocals.

Sam has also changed his perspective on life since becoming happy with who he is, which is evident in the album. Yes, once again, it is conscious, but there are uplifting lyrics this time. He also has a few collaborations on the album with Ed Sheeran and Koffee, among others.

The record starts with ‘Love Me More’ delving into Sam’s love for Gospel. The lyrics themselves are pretty dark. I will now go into why the album has shown Sam a bit more diverse sound this time. First, I already mentioned the opener ‘Love Me More’. He dives into RnB with ‘Perfect’ and then into the disco-infused ‘Perfect, where he discovers how he has learnt to accept himself as whole.

The one that did take me by surprise was ‘Unholy’. It has a Grime quality to it, and to be honest, the song’s theme fits the music. Sam foretells about a family man who indulges in unprotected sex.

There are plenty of more RnB tracks or his usual piano ballads. This isn’t the best for me, but the disco floor filler ‘I’m Not Here to Make Friends’ is a standout on the record, and you can go right when you get Calvin Harris to produce the track. The great Nile Rodgers would be proud of this one.

My favourite, however, is something I wasn’t expecting as I’m not too fond of extremely short tracks. The title track is fucking excellent; Sam is accompanied by a choir, as each lyric elevates and reverberates around the church the song is performed in. The album closes with ‘Who We Love’, a soft and gentle duet with Ed Sheehan where they talk about giving you into your heart because it knows who we love.

Sam surprised me this time. I was impressed he experimented with other genres, and it made the listen fly by rather than dragging on.

Song recommendations: ‘Gloria’, ‘I’m Not Here to Make Friends’, ‘Unholy’

7/10