Promises (Calvin Harris and Sam Smith song)


"Promises" is a song by Scottish music producer Calvin Harris and English singer-songwriter Sam Smith. Both artists co-wrote the song with Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez, who also provided additional vocals to the song. The song's production was handled solely by Harris. It was released by Columbia Records and Sony Music on 17 August 2018. It reached number one on the UK Singles Chart on 7 September 2018, having debuted at number four two weeks earlier. It became Harris' tenth British chart-topper and Smith's seventh. In the United States, the single became Harris' twelfth and Smith's first number-one on Billboards Dance/Mix Show Airplay Chart in its 6 October 2018 issue. The song was intended to appear on Smith's upcoming third album, however, it was later removed after the album's postponement.

Release

Both artists announced the song via Twitter on 13 August 2018. "Very excited about this one", Harris wrote. Smith added: "Surprise! I'm so excited for you all to hear this song." The announcement was accompanied by a Japanese-inspired retro single artwork, which depicts a lone tree rising up in front of the ocean against a faded pink backdrop. The song marks Smith's third foray into electronic dance music, after being featured on Disclosure's singles "Latch" and "Omen" in 2012 and 2015, respectively. On 15 August, Smith posted a promotional photo on Twitter ahead of the single's release, showing them and Harris relaxing on a rooftop while sharing a bottle of wine and a pizza. The single was released alongside a lyric video.

Composition

"Promises" is a house and dance-pop song recorded in the key of D minor with a tempo of 123 beats per minute in common time. It follows a chord progression of Bmaj7–Dm7–Csus2, and Smith's vocals span from C3 to A4.

Critical reception

Brandy Robidoux of Hollywood Life called the song "a music match made in heaven", writing that Smith's "smooth vocals" provides a "soulful vibe", while retaining the "classic Calvin thumping beat".

Music video

The music video for "Promises" was released on 4 September, directed by Emil Nava, and it honors the LGBT community with references to the ball scene and voguing.

Track listing

  1. "Promises" – 3:33
  1. "Promises" – 3:10
  2. "Promises" – 4:19
  3. "Promises" – 3:57
  4. "Promises" – 4:42
  5. "Promises" – 4:26
  6. "Promises" – 3:30
  7. "Promises" – 3:09
  8. "Promises" – 3:57
  1. "Promises" – 7:53
  2. "Promises" – 8:01
  3. "Promises" – 6:19
  4. "Promises" – 6:00
  5. "Promises" – 7:13
  6. "Promises" – 6:26
  7. "Promises" – 7:02
  8. "Promises" – 7:05
  9. "Promises" – 8:27

    Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal.

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Chart Position
Australia 87
Belgium 59
Belgium 92
CIS 39
Hungary 30
Hungary 8
Hungary 44
Netherlands 91
Romania 64
Russia Airplay 53
Slovenia 28
Switzerland 79
Ukraine Airplay 27
UK Singles 47
US Hot Dance/Electronic Songs 27

Certifications

Release history