An absolute slay! This song is definitely on repeat 24/7. After going incredibly viral, everyone must have “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras lyrics stuck in their minds, right?
The English singer and German pop artist released their single “Unholy” in September 2022. Smith teased the song on TikTok where their video dancing with Petras garnered over 30 million views. The song won for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards and the two pop singers performed the song at the ceremony. Smith won 4 Grammys including Best New Artist and Record of the Year in 2015. This is Kim Petras’ first Grammy nomination and she’s the first trans artist to take home a Grammy award. The duo performed the song live on Saturday Night Live on January 22, 2023.
Smith released their fourth studio album Gloria on January 27, 2023, which includes the hit single and other iconic songs with Jessie Reyez and Koffee. “It feels like emotional, sexual, and spiritual liberation,” Smith said in a press release. “It was beautiful, with this album, to sing freely again. Oddly, it feels like my first-ever record. And it feels like a coming of age.”
Here’s what the song “Unholy” means.
What is “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras meaning?
What is “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras meaning? Smith made the song with Petras after being fans of each other. “‘Unholy’ was made in Jamaica and was one of the most glorious creative moments I’ve ever had as an artist,” Smith explained of the song to NME. “I’ve never had so much fun making a record. It was so cathartic and freeing to experiment like this and throw out the rule book, This song is about liberating oneself from the clutches of others’ secrets…” Of the collaboration, they gushed over Kim Petras. “It was so cathartic and freeing to experiment like this and throw out the rule book. It has also been an honor to work with Kim and get to witness her brilliance. This song is about liberating oneself from the clutches of others’ secrets…”
Petras said she’s “such a big fan” of Smith. “It is cool to meet another artist who is a really good writer and has a vision that’s their own,” she praised the “Stay With Me” singer. “I had the best time in the studio with them. They really believed in me and encouraged me to be totally myself. I feel so honored that they chose me to be on this song.”
In an interview with Billboard, Smith talked about their wants to stray away from ballads and sad songs to explore queer joy for his latest album. “I think joy for me, and for a lot of queer people, is quite a dangerous place. We’re all masters of pain, and I think it’s … courageous to step into the queer joy of it all.”’
The song was written by Smith, Petras, James Napier, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Blake Slatkin, Henry Russell Walter and Omer Fedi, with all of them taking production credits too with Jimmy Napes.
“Unholy” details infidelity among a couple with some designer brands being shouted out during verses of the song. “The Body Shop” refers to either a Los Angeles strip club or an actual car body shop. The song’s music video reflects the song’s message when we see Petras and Smith at a raunchy cabaret show featuring RuPaul’s Drag Race alums Violet Chachki and Gottmik.
“Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras Lyrics
Read the lyrics to “Unholy” by Sam Smith and Kim Petras here below via Genius.
[Intro: Sam Smith & Kim Petras]
Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot
At the Body Shop
Doing something unholy
He like it, like it, yeah (Ooh)
He like it, like it, yeah (Yeah, yeah)
He like it, like it, yeah (Uh)
He like it, like it, yeah
[Verse 1: Sam Smith]
A lucky, lucky girl
She got married to a boy like you
She’d kick you out if she ever, ever knew
‘Bout all the **** you tell me that you do
Dirty, dirty boy
You know everyone is talkin’ on the scene
I hear them whisperin’ ’bout the places that you’ve been
And how you don’t know how to keep your business clean
[Chorus: Sam Smith & Kim Petras]
Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot
At the Body Shop
Doin’ something unholy
He’s sat back while she’s droppin’ it
She be poppin’ it
Yeah, she put it down slowly
Oh-ee-oh-ee-oh, he left his kids at
Ho-ee-oh-ee-ome so he can get that
Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot
At the Body Shop
Doin’ something unholy (Woo)
[Verse 2: Kim Petras]
Mm, daddy, daddy, if you want it, drop the addy (Yeah, yeah)
Give me love, give me Fendi, my Balenciaga daddy
You gon’ need to bag it up ’cause I’m spendin’ on Rodeo (Woo)
You can watch me back it up, I’ll be gone in the A.M. (Yeah)
And he, he get me Prada, get me Miu Miu like Rihanna (Ah)
He always call me ’cause I never cause no drama (Drama)
And when you want it, baby, I know I got you covered (Yeah, yeah)
And when you need it, baby, just jump under the covers (Yeah)
[Chorus: Sam Smith, Kim Petras & Both]
Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot (Hot)
At the Body Shop (Shop)
Doin’ something unholy
He’s sat back while she’s droppin’ it (She)
She be poppin’ it (She)
Yeah, she put it down slowly
Oh-ee-oh-ee-oh, he left his kids at
Ho-ee-oh-ee-ome so he can get that
Mummy don’t know Daddy’s getting hot (Unholy)
At the Body Shop (Ah)
Doin’ something unholy (Unholy)
[Outro: Sam Smith & Kim Petras]
Oh-oh, oh-ee-oh-ee, ee-oh (Unholy)
Oh-oh, oh-ee-oh-ee, ee-oh (Unholy)
Oh-oh, oh-ee-oh-ee, ee-oh (Yeah, yeah)
Oh-oh, oh-ee-oh-ee, ee-oh
Courtesy of Capitol
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