Sam Smith Yearns ‘To Be Free’ With New Single Out This Week: ‘It’s More Than Special to Me’

After taking some time out of the spotlight, pop singer Sam Smith is ready to take center stage again with a new song.

On Tuesday (July 22), Smith shared that their new single “To Be Free” will be released on Thursday (July 24) at noon ET. Sharing the single art on their Instagram — which depicts a moody shot of the Hudson River in New York City — Smith revealed that they’ve been waiting for half a decade to share the track with their audience.

“I wrote this song with my dear friend Simon Aldred. It’s one vocal and guitar take from start to finish, made complete by the beautiful injection of the incredible choir we’ve been working with across this new project,” they wrote on the post. “To Be Free was written 5 years ago. It’s more than special to me.”

The announcement comes days after Smith previously teased fans with two snippets of the new song, featuring them singing a gentle R&B melody alongside a gospel choir. “Pray your heart be lighter/ Brave and free like mine,” they shared in a caption of one of the posts, previewing some of the song’s lyrics. “Floating like a feather/ Hope waits down the line.”

“To Be Free” will be Smith’s second single of 2025, after the singer shared their tender ballad “Love Is a Stillness” on Valentine’s Day. “This song is such a special song to me and because it’s Valentine’s Day I wanted to share this with you as a gift to say I love you,” they wrote to their fans at the time of the song’s release.

Check out Smith’s announcement for “To Be Free” below:

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