: Critics noted the song marked a "veer away" from Sam Smith’s usual gentle soul sound, leaning into a 1980s-inspired disco-R&B vibe that perfectly showcased Normani’s "soul-dance diva" persona.
The official video for "Dancing with a Stranger" by Sam Smith and Normani is a masterclass in "sultry melancholy," currently boasting over on YouTube. : Critics noted the song marked a "veer
: Despite being a duet about shared loneliness, Sam Smith and Normani never actually meet on camera during the video. This choice was intentional to reflect the song's theme of feeling isolated even when surrounded by others. This choice was intentional to reflect the song's
Here are a few interesting facts that make this collaboration and its video stand out: played her the song
: The collaboration happened by pure luck at a Los Angeles recording studio. While Sam Smith was writing the track, Normani happened to be recording in the studio next door. Smith, a self-proclaimed superfan of Normani’s former group Fifth Harmony, played her the song, and she recorded her perfect vocals on the spot.
: Upon its release in 2019, it became the most-viewed music video in the United Kingdom on Vevo for that entire year. It was also the world's most-played radio track of 2019.
: Directed by Vaughan Arnell and shot in London, the video features the duo moving through a "sleek, stark home" while surrounded by hologram-like projections of dancers. These spectral figures represent the "ephemeral connections" people seek to fill the void after a breakup.
