Another major upcoming album has been delayed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Following last week’s delays of new albums from HAIM and Lady Gaga, Sam Smith has announced that their highly-anticipated new studio album, To Die For, has also been delayed. In a thoughtful statement posted to Twitter, Smith revealed that not only will the album be postponed, but when it does eventually hit shelves, it’ll be with a new title. “I have done a lot of thinking the last few weeks and feel that the title of the album and imminent release doesn’t feel right,” they said. “So I have come to the decision to continue working on the album and make some important changes and additions.” You can read the full statement, addressed “To my wonderful fans,” in full below:
“Thank you for always being by my side and for your understanding and patience,” Smith wrote. “I always want to do right by you. Always.”
The silver lining is that there’s already new Sam Smith music out in the world, including the recently-released acoustic version of the (former) title track, “To Die For,” as well as the original single, released back in February. They also participated in Elton John and iHeartRadio’s Living Room Concert For America, which you can now watch in full online. And, as stated in the letter above, Smith is committed to releasing more new music and the now-untitled album this year. Just hang in there.