| "Vulgar" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Sam Smith and Madonna | ||||
| Released | 9 June 2023 | |||
| Recorded | 6 February 2023 | |||
| Length | 2:35 | |||
| Label | Capitol | |||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | ||||
| Sam Smith singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Madonna singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Visualiser | ||||
| "Sam Smith,Madonna - VULGAR (Visualiser)" on YouTube | ||||
"Vulgar" is a song recorded by English singer Sam Smith and American singer Madonna,released as a single on 9 June 2023. Both singers wrote the track alongside Ilya Salmanzadeh,Ryan Tedder,Omer Fedi,Henry Walter,and James Napier. [1]
Sam Smith released their fourth studio album, Gloria ,in January 2023. The album was supported by several singles,including "Unholy" (2022),which reached number one on record charts. [2] Sam Smith performed the song with Kim Petras at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards on 5 February 2023,which was introduced by Madonna. While introducing the performance,Madonna gave a speech about controversy,stating:"I'm here to give thanks to all the rebels out there forging a new path and taking the heat for all of it. You guys need to know —all you troublemakers out there —you need to know that your fearlessness doesn't go unnoticed. You are seen,you are heard;and most of all,you are appreciated." The song won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance at the ceremony. [3] [4] One day later,Smith recorded "Vulgar" with Madonna,and called the experience "an amazing evening creating and writing and expressing". [5]
Smith began teasing a collaboration with Madonna on 24 May 2023,sharing a video clip that stated:"Manchester,we've got a surprise for you this evening. 'Unholy' won't be the last song…." [6] [7] [8] The show was cancelled and the song was not premiered there, [9] but it was teased for over a week. [10] In May 2023,Madonna shared the song's artwork,which depicts their bodies in "a pair of tightly cinched black-and-white corsets",underneath Smith and Madonna's initials shortened to just "S&M". [10] [11] [12] According to Sam Smith,both Madonna and the accompanying songwriters went to the studio the following day from the Grammy awards to record the music. [5] Sam Smith stated the song is "very special to me",and continued saying:"Me,the QUEEN,and a group of some of the most talented people I know ... created this piece of music. The creativity was pure and the energy was alive". [13] In a conversation with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1,Smith called "Vulgar","one of the most exciting songs I've been a part of". [5]
Regarded as a "highly" or "much-anticipated" track by publications such as Rolling Stone , American Songwriter , New York Daily News , The Music and Metro Weekly , [11] [14] [13] [15] [16] "Vulgar" was released on 9 June 2023. [14] Upon its release,it won a poll conducted by Billboard as reader's favorite new music release of the week. [17]
Based on its snippet,iHeartRadio's Rebekah Gonzalez commented that it "sounds like it's taking heavy influence from ballroom music,which is music created especially for voguing". [18] Described as a dance-party anthem and a "club-ready" banger song, [19] [14] [13] [11] it contains Middle Eastern-influenced strings, [20] [21] [22] with electronic elements. [15] [16]
It contains spoken words, [15] while Exclaim! 's Sydney Brasil and Alexis Petridis from The Guardian noted the absence of a chorus. [23] [24] Thematically,"Vulgar" explores the concept of embracing a provocative demeanor,and track about the beauty in being sexy and free,the power of self-expression,and "the importance of doing what you want while paying no attention to haters" according to Muri Assunção from the New York Daily News . [16] [13] Some critics noted its features a cheeky nod to Madonna's "Into the Groove" in its lyrics, [25] [26] [27] [19] while shows a self-referential Madonna in the style of "Bitch I'm Madonna". [27] [22] Others labeled it as a continuation of Sam Smith and Kim Petras' "Unholy". [27] [23]
Writing for NME ,Liberty Dunworth called it a "sultry" single, [12] while Mey Rude from Out referred to it as a "sexy and slinky" song,"with a heavy beat perfect for grinding in the gay club at 2am". [28] Sal Cinquemani,music critic of Slant magazine describes "it's messy,it's campy,and it's gloriously self-aware" and is a "very much a transgressive,capital-S statement" song but he felt "isn't spit-shined for mass consumption". [29] Joey Nolfi from Entertainment Weekly named it a "delicious" banger,and claimed "Madonna dominates the deliciously obscene manifesto with lyrics that offer a stern warning to the musical duo's detractors". [26] Jamie Tabberer from Attitude gave three out of five stars labelling it as "a jaw-dropping declaration of resistance". [22] American Songwriter 's Tiffany Goldstein called it a "bold and fearless anthem". [14] CervantéPope from Consequence felt "'Vulgar' isn't unnecessarily filthy —rather,the artists are asserting a message of empowerment,and demanding respect". [20] Similar to Pope, The Music 's Mary Varvaris commented "isn't sexually explicit like some would expect [...] but its language certainly is". [15]
The Economic Times labeled it as a "sizzling" and "scintillating" collaboration "which showcases their sensual prowess". [30] Similarly,Hugh McIntyre from Metro Weekly said it "showcases the audacity that these two icons are renowned for",and while he called it an "undeniably a solid offering",editor continued saying "it fails to rank among the most remarkable compositions from either artist's repertoire",considering "the megawatt talent involved,it's a bit disappointing". [16] Giving only two out of five stars,Alexis Petridis from The Guardian reacted critical calling it "a tame attempt at manufacturing outrage". [24]
Variety named "Vulgar" one of the worst songs of 2023. [31] The song achieved a nomination at the 2024 Queerty Awards in the category Best Anthem. [32]
"Vulgar" debuted at number 11 on the Billboard multi-metric chart Hot Dance/Electronic Songs with 3,000 downloads and 1.8 million official streams according to Luminate. [33] In the United Kingdom,"Vulgar" debuted at number 69 with 8,154 sales in its first week according to the Official Charts Company. [34] Elsewhere,it charted in a number of countries including Greece,Hungary,Ireland and New Zealand.
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canadian Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [37] | 20 |
| Chile Anglo (Monitor Latino) [38] | 9 |
| Costa Rica Anglo (Monitor Latino) [39] | 7 |
| Ecuador Anglo (Monitor Latino) [40] | 16 |
| Germany Download Singles (Official German Charts) [41] | 15 |
| Greece International (IFPI) [42] | 65 |
| Guatemala Anglo (Monitor Latino) [43] | 3 |
| Honduras Anglo (Monitor Latino) [44] | 9 |
| Hungary (Single Top 40) [45] | 25 |
| Ireland (IRMA) [46] | 77 |
| Japan Hot Overseas ( Billboard Japan ) [47] | 11 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade) [48] | 26 |
| New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ) [49] | 21 |
| Panama Anglo (Monitor Latino) [50] | 3 |
| South Korea BGM (Circle) [51] | 120 |
| South Korea Download (Circle) [52] | 169 |
| Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan) [53] | 9 |
| UK Singles (OCC) [54] | 69 |
| US Digital Song Sales ( Billboard ) [55] | 16 |
| US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs ( Billboard ) [56] | 11 |
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Version | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | 9 June 2023 | Original | Capitol | [35] | |
| Italy | Radio airplay | Universal | [57] | ||
| Various | 30 June 2023 |
| Marlon Hoffstadt remix | Capitol | [36] |
"Who's That Girl" is a song by American singer Madonna from the soundtrack of the 1987 film of the same name. Written and produced by Madonna and Patrick Leonard,it was released in Europe as the soundtrack's lead single on June 29,1987 and in the United States on 30 June 1987. An uptempo pop song,"Who's That Girl" continued the singer's fascination with Latin pop,a genre she had previously explored on her single "La Isla Bonita". It features instrumentation from drums,bass,and trumpets,and has lyrics sung both in English and Spanish. While shooting for the film,then called Slammer,Madonna had requested Leonard to develop a song that captured the nature of her character;the producer worked on a demo and,afterwards,Madonna added the lyrics and decided to rename the song,as well as the film,to "Who's That Girl".
American singer Madonna has released 94 singles and 23 promotional singles and charted with 23 other songs. Among those releases,a total of 44 singles have topped the official chart in at least one of the world's top 10 music markets,from "Like a Virgin" (1984) to "Give Me All Your Luvin'" (2012). She has sold more than 100 million singles,predominantly in physical formats,with single certifications spanning 40 years from "Holiday" (1983) to "Popular" (2023). According to Billboard,Madonna is the most successful solo artist in the United States singles chart history,second overall behind the Beatles. In the United Kingdom,Madonna is the most successful female artist,with a total of 64 top-ten songs and 13 chart-toppers. At the 40th anniversary of the GfK Media Control Charts,Madonna was ranked as the most successful singles artist in German chart history. Editors of The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (2004) wrote that Madonna is a "deserving candidate for the title of greatest singles artist since the 1960s heyday of the single";the staff of Slant stated in 2020 that "by every objective measure,she's the most successful singles artist of all time".
Samuel Frederick Smith is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012,they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch",which peaked at number eleven on the UK Singles Chart. The following year,they featured on Naughty Boy's single "La La La",which became a number one single in the UK.
English singer and songwriter Sam Smith has released four studio albums,one independent album,three live albums,one remix album,one soundtrack,thirteen extended plays,thirty-seven singles,and six promotional singles.
"Stay with Me" is a song by English singer Sam Smith from their debut studio album In the Lonely Hour (2014). It was released in the United States on 14 April 2014 and in the United Kingdom on 18 May 2014. "Stay with Me" is a gospel-inspired ballad that details the protagonist pleading with their one-night stand not to leave them. The song was written by Smith,James Napier,and William Phillips,with Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne later receiving co-writer credits due to the song's noted melodic similarity to Petty's single "I Won't Back Down".
"Felices los 4" is a song by Colombian singer Maluma from his third studio album,F.A.M.E. (2018). It was released by Sony Music Latin on 21 April 2017. The track was written by Maluma,Servando Primera,Mario Cáceres and Miky La Sensa,and produced by Rude Boyz. A salsa version of the song featuring American singer Marc Anthony and produced by Sergio George was released on 7 July 2017. "Felices los 4" became Maluma's first single as lead artist to appear on the US Billboard Hot 100,where it charted for 20 weeks and peaked at number 48.
"Girls Like You" is a song recorded by American band Maroon 5 from their sixth studio album Red Pill Blues (2017). The track was written by lead singer Adam Levine,Starrah,Gian Stone,Cirkut,and Jason Evigan,with the latter two serving as producers. A second version featuring and co-written by American rapper Cardi B,was released on May 31,2018,as the album's fifth and final single. The single version was included on the re-release edition of the album.
"Accelerate" is a song by American singer Christina Aguilera and was released as the lead single from her eighth studio album Liberation (2018). It features guest vocals from singer Ty Dolla Sign and rapper 2 Chainz. The song was produced by Kanye West alongside Che Pope,Mike Dean and Eric Danchick,with co-production from Honorable C.N.O.T.E. and Charlie Heat. In the lyrics,which celebrate living in the moment,Aguilera "accelerates" her sexual partner,wanting him to "show passion" towards her.
"Canción Bonita" is a song recorded by Colombian singer Carlos Vives and Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin for Vives' sixteenth studio album,Cumbiana II. It was written by Andrés Torres,Rafa Arcaute,Martin,Vives,and Mauricio Rengifo,while the production was handled by Torres,Rengifo and Arcaute. The song was released for digital download and streaming by Sony Music Latin on April 13,2021,as the lead single from the album. A Spanish language vallenato and pop song,it is a declaration of love for Puerto Rico. The track received widely positive reviews from music critics,who complimented its fusion of sounds.
"Ram Pam Pam" is a song by Dominican singer Natti Natasha and American singer Becky G. The song and its music video were released by Pina Records and Sony Music Latin on April 20,2021. It was written by the two singers,Francisco Saldaña,Ovimael Maldonado Burgos,Nino Karlo Segarra,Justin Quiles,Siggy Vázquez,Elena Rose,Juan Manuel Frias,Valentina López and its producers Jean Carlos Hernández Espinal and label head Rafael Pina. It interpolates "Ella Me Levantó" (2007),written and performed by Daddy Yankee. It is Natasha and Gomez's third collaboration,following the hugely successful "Sin Pijama" and the remix of "Dura",both released in April 2018.
Vice Versa is the second studio album by Puerto Rican singer Rauw Alejandro. It was released on June 25,2021,by Sony Music Latin and Duars Entertainment. Two weeks after finalizing his debut studio album,Afrodisíaco (2020),Alejandro started recording his sophomore album,going experimental on it and having a departure from his signature music styles. He worked with several producers,including Tainy,Caleb Calloway,and Mr. Naisgai to create the album. Musically,Vice Versa consists of electropop and house tracks,reggaeton songs,Latin pop numbers,bolero lines,and Brazilian funk rhythms. After the album's release,Alejandro embarked on the Rauw Alejandro World Tour and the Vice Versa Tour in 2021 and 2022,respectively.
"Bam Bam" is a song by American singer and songwriter Camila Cabello from her third studio album Familia (2022). It was released by Epic Records on March 4,2022,as the second single from the album. Featuring English singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran,"Bam Bam" is a Latin pop song with a tropical and salsa-infused pre-chorus and chorus. The song marks the second collaboration between Cabello and Sheeran,following "South of the Border" from Sheeran's fourth studio album,No.6 Collaborations Project (2019).
"A Veces Bien y a Veces Mal" is a song recorded by Puerto Rican singer Ricky Martin and Mexican band Reik for Martin's second extended play,Play (2022). The song was written by Pedro Capó,Pablo Preciado,Andrés Torres,Martin,Kiko Cibrian,Mauricio Rengifo,and Julio Ramirez Juvelo,while the production was handled by Torres and Rengifo. It was released for digital download and streaming by Sony Music Latin on April 14,2022,as the second single from the EP. A Spanish language pop ballad,it is a heartbreak song,describing what happens when you miss someone with whom you still hope to return one day,and the vulnerability of a heart that resists having to accept reality.
"Te Felicito" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira and Puerto Rican singer-songwriter Rauw Alejandro. The song was released on 21 April 2022,through Sony Music Latin,as the lead single from Shakira's twelfth studio album,Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran (2024).
"Provenza" is a song by Colombian singer-songwriter Karol G. It was written by Karol G,Keityn and Ovy on the Drums,and produced by the latter. The song was released on April 21,2022,through Universal Music Latino,as the lead single from her fourth studio album,Mañana SeráBonito.
"La Triple T" is a song by Argentine singer Tini. It was released by Sony Music Latin and Hollywood Records on May 5,2022,as the fifth single from her fourth studio album,Cupido (2023). The song was written by Tini,Elena Rose,and its producers Andrés Torres and Mauricio Rengifo. It is her first solo song after a while and several successful collaborations throughout her career. The song debuted at number one on the Billboard Argentina Hot 100,becoming Tini's third number-one single on the chart following "Miénteme" and "Bar" in 2021.
"BailéCon Mi Ex" is a song recorded by American singer Becky G. It was released by Kemosabe and RCA Records on May 10,2022,as the fourth and final single from Gomez's second Spanish studio album,Esquemas (2022). It was written by Gomez,Blake Slatkin,Keegan Bach,Manuel Lorente Freire,Gregory Hein,Andrew Jackson,Mario Caceres,Hector Andre Mazzarri Ramos.
"Don't You Worry" is a song by American group Black Eyed Peas,Colombian singer and songwriter Shakira and French DJ David Guetta. It was released on June 17,2022,through BEP Music and Epic Records and later included on the Black Eyed Peas' ninth studio album Elevation as the fourteenth track and lead single. The track was a success in mainland Europe and Asia.
"Unholy" is a song by British singer Sam Smith and German singer Kim Petras. It was released on 22 September 2022 through EMI Records and Capitol Records as the second single from Smith's fourth studio album Gloria (2023) and as a bonus track on Petras's debut studio album Feed the Beast (2023). It was teased by Smith on their TikTok account a month before its release and went viral due to its use in thirst trap-style videos. Produced by Ilya,Omer Fedi,Blake Slatkin,Jimmy Napes,and Cirkut and written by them alongside Smith and Petras,"Unholy" is a sexually charged electropop,dance-pop,and synth-pop song with choral and hyperpop influences,which marked a shift away from ballads for Smith. It uses the Phrygian dominant scale and its lyrics are about a family man who cheats on his wife at a strip club.
"Popular" is a song by Canadian singer the Weeknd,American rapper Playboi Carti,and American singer Madonna. It was released on June 2,2023,through XO and Republic Records,originally serving as the second single from The Idol,Vol. 1,the now scrapped soundtrack album to the Weeknd's HBO television series,The Idol. The song was later included on the 2024 deluxe edition of the Weeknd's greatest hits album The Highlights (2021). An R&B song,it was written by the Weeknd and Playboi Carti with producers Metro Boomin,Mike Dean,and Tommy Rush,alongside The Idol co-creator Sam Levinson,Michael Walker,and John Flippin.
