Here’s two people who are no strangers to an “&” or a “ft.” credit.
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Tobi Tella: Sam Smith has always been infinitely more tolerable on EDM features (“Latch,” “Ooh La La”) than on his own music. This isn’t as fun as those features — it doesn’t really go anywhere meaningful — but it’s great to hear him sing without wailing. This is also Normani’s third song of pleasant R&B that’s not very interesting. Guess she has a niche now?
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Thomas Inskeep: Seductive and cool, subtly sexy, wisely dialed down where you expect otherwise. So happy to hear Sam not singing a ballad, and equally happy to hear Normani singing in her lower register. By keeping the temperature low, they guarantee heat.
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Alfred Soto: Nothing original or even compelling about “Dancing with a Stranger” — it’s like connecting with an anonymous guy on the dance floor on Saturday night. But Smith’s thick creamy dolor and Normani’s underplaying at least made me turn my head at the pretty couple going gaga over each other.
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Ryo Miyauchi: The beat’s dim glow and its mellow rock nicely suit the worn-out tone of the performers, both of whom hit the club more out of necessity than pure leisure. The sparseness of the production, too, yearns for the remaining space within the silhouette to be filled with something. The begrudged “ugh” is more audible from Normani, whose take on “look at what you made me do” carries the embarrassment and regret that the chorus asks for.
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Juana Giaimo: “Dancing wih a Stranger” sounds far from the party they describe in the lyrics: a little bit nostalgic, a little bit sad but with just a hint of upbeat rhythm. Their voices are both very delicate and soothing — and I’m definitely glad Sam Smith could control his vocals and didn’t ruin it with his strident high pitch.
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Joshua Minsoo Kim: Under the lambent flicker of dance floor lights, bodies can seem like shapeless pools of sweat and desire. But it’s in this reduction that every contour and movement can trace their way back to the basest of human longings. “Dancing with a Stranger” understands the ephemeral magic that takes place in such moments — these are opportunities to feel a little less lonely, if even for a few minutes. For Sam Smith and Normani, a recent breakup has left their hearts open and desperate. Dancing becomes their remedy, but the song’s expansive and hollow atmosphere indicates that this is less panacea than placebo. Sometimes, that’s enough.
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Katherine St Asaph: Sam Smith’s newly laconic voice worked on “Promises,” where Calvin Harris’s production provided the missing frisson. Here — and I never thought I’d think this — one misses the screech. How does a rebound hookup sound this boring?
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Iris Xie: I don’t want to like Sam Smith. But I’m a sucker for evocative songs. This piece helps me imagine being a protagonist that is emotionally tortured at a fancy bar. The counter is dark with cherrywood, and the light is low, the bulbs flickering and illuminating the condensation ring around my drink. Then, looking over and finding the love of my life through a heady mixture of romantic sentiments and abject loneliness. Those types of stories never end well, but this song makes that appear desirable. The silky high notes of Sam Smith that contrast with the husky power of Normani’s vocals, as it floats between the grounding drums and the warped synth, gives an impression of two dancers circling on the floor, eyeing eachother before coming together into a long embrace. Note: This is probably going to be on some blues fusion dance DJ playlists.
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Stephen Eisermann: Comparisons are never fun and we should never do them, but this is the generic brand “Dance to This,” right? Normani deserves better than to sing on such a lifeless track that aims for mood but lands at… elevator music with a pulse.
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Scott Mildenhall: It’s always been clear that Sam Smith can flourish with more digital productions, but what this and “Promises” have shown is that he is also engaging when they guide him towards an uncharacteristic restraint. There’s still room for a little of his familiar modulations, but he simply can’t overstretch. Sometimes restrictions aid creativity, and with this closed-off landscape and lyrics produced by putting his prior work through a Brita filter, Smith and his able accomplice offer proof.
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