British singer Sam Smith is marking 12 years since releasing the hit fourth single I'm Not The Only One from debut album In The Lonely Hour. The track remains one of the defining songs of the artist's career alongside second single Stay With Me, which was released six months earlier in April 2014.
When the single debuted, record labels typically released four or more singles from a major album over an extended timeframe. Such long rollout schedules have become increasingly rare in the modern music industry, where digital streaming has accelerated release cycles.
Released in 2014, In The Lonely Hour served as Smith's breakthrough studio debut following guest vocals on Disclosure's Latch and Naughty Boy's La La La, eventually earning multiple Grammy Awards and establishing Smith as a major international pop figure.
Although many listeners initially assumed the lyrics reflected Smith's personal life, the singer later clarified that the song was not autobiographical. The narrative focuses on a broken relationship damaged by infidelity, giving voice to the painful discovery that a partner is unfaithful.
Music video and infidelity narrative
The music video illustrates the storyline of marital betrayal without featuring Smith in the primary narrative, though the singer appears in performance shots throughout the video. The dramatised story stars American actress Dianna Agron alongside American actor Chris Messina.
Agron achieved global recognition playing cheer captain Quinn Fabray on the musical comedy series Glee between 2009 and 2015. Messina is an established film and television actor who starred in the comedy series The Mindy Project and appeared in films such as Argo.
Upon its release, critics catalogued the song and several other tracks on the album as notably melancholic. Commentators frequently contrasted its somber tone with the upbeat anthem Happy by Pharrell Williams, which dominated international charts throughout 2013 and 2014.
Williams, an influential American producer and performer, recorded Happy for the animated film soundtrack Despicable Me 2. The song became the top-selling single of 2014 globally, providing a high-energy contrast to Smith's contemplative soul ballads.
Heartbreak inspiration and academic research
The enduring popularity of emotional ballads aligns with a widespread belief within the music industry that artists write their best songs while suffering from a broken heart. Performers and record labels have long maintained that emotional distress fuels creative breakthroughs.
That industry perception is supported by academic research. A study conducted by the University of Malaga in Spain revealed that 72 percent of all existing songs focus on human interpersonal relationships. Smith's debut album fit squarely into that tradition by centering heavily on romantic themes.
The University of Malaga, founded in 1972 in the coastal region of Andalusia, is one of Spain's major public research institutions, frequently examining trends across the humanities, media, and social sciences.
Personal roots of debut album title
While the fourth single described a scenario Smith had not personally experienced, the singer chose to leave a genuine personal mark through the title of the album itself. Titled In The Lonely Hour, the record reflected Smith's reality as a 22-year-old who was single and had never been in a romantic relationship.
Smith intended the project to serve as a love album specifically for people who were single or had never had a partner, addressing the common anxiety of struggling to find romantic love. Smith described the debut project as a diary of a lonely 21-year-old, noting that it offered a way to speak about what was then the only real problem in life.
Despite the album being widely classified as sad, Smith viewed the work as a celebration of personal strength. The singer explained that it addressed the emotional challenges facing a 22-year-old youth, specifically the sting of unrequited love. Smith added that there had never been a romantic relationship in life up to that point, only unrequited experiences where affection was not returned.
Global charts and competitive landscape
The emotional honesty of the project resonated with audiences worldwide, sending the album and its singles to Number 1 on multiple occasions across international charts, including in Spain. Smith established a prominent presence on global music rankings during a competitive era for pop music.
At the time, Smith competed on international charts against major Latin hits such as Bailando by Spanish pop icon Enrique Iglesias featuring Cuban duo Gente de Zona. The single also shared chart space with We Are One, the official anthem of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil performed by Pitbull, Jennifer Lopez, and Claudia Leitte in a tournament eventually won by Germany.
Iglesias and Gente de Zona scored one of the biggest Latin pop hits of the decade with Bailando, while the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil marked the 20th edition of the global football tournament, culminating in Germany's victory over Argentina in the final.
Smith filled a soulful vocal niche in pop music that had previously been dominated by fellow British singer Adele, who had achieved massive commercial success with her 2011 album 21. Around the same period, Smith shared chart space with fellow countryman James Arthur, who achieved mainstream success after winning the ninth series of The X Factor UK in 2012.
Enduring legacy and later releases
Twelve years after its release, In The Lonely Hour continues to hold a prominent place in contemporary pop music. Demonstrating its lasting influence, Spanish pop star Aitana later recorded a collaborative version of the album track Like I Can alongside Smith.
Aitana Ocana, known mononymously as Aitana, rose to prominence on the Spanish reality talent show Operacion Triunfo in 2017 before becoming one of Spain's leading pop artists. Her duet with Smith bridged British soul with contemporary Spanish pop.
The track and the broader album remain staples of daily radio broadcasts, including regular rotation on Spain's CADENA 100 network, owned by Grupo COPE. Smith's musical journey has since evolved through subsequent releases such as Hazel Eyes, which framed love as a fresh source of inspiration, When He's Gone, which transformed absence into a new story, and Oh Mother, which explored themes of betrayal, heartbreak, and hope.
