The original single was released with the same artwork as the album.[1] Above cover is for the
Giorgio Moroder remix, a similar cover art was released for the
Joel Corry remix.
"Smile" is a song by American singer
Katy Perry for her
sixth studio album of the same name (2020). It was released on July 10, 2020 by
Capitol Records as the second single from the album, along with the album's pre-order. Musically, it is a
nu-disco song which
samplesNaughty by Nature's 1999 song "
Jamboree". On the song, Perry talks about expressing her gratitude for changes in her life. A version featuring American rapper
Diddy is featured on some
vinyl versions of the album, while remixes of the song by
Giorgio Moroder and
Joel Corry have also been released to promote the song.
Background and composition
The song was officially released on July 10, 2020 along with the album's pre-order, with Perry saying she hoped "it can be a few minutes of energizing hopefulness for you as it is for meee".[2][3] "Smile" is a
nu-disco[4] song which runs for 2 minutes and 47 seconds.[5] It
samplesNaughty by Nature's 1999 song "
Jamboree".[6] The song starts off with an "upbeat hook" and a "
dance-driven groove" that leads to the chorus containing lyrics expressing her gratitude for changes in her life: "Yeah, I'm thankful / Scratch that, baby, I'm grateful / Gotta say it's really been a while / But now I got back that smile".[2] On the lyrics, Perry also "extols the virtue of perseverance" after suffering setbacks where every day feels like Groundhog Day as well as "going through motions felt so fake".[7]
The song was inspired by Perry's own experiences and was described by
Uproxx as an "ode to remembering life's joys". Speaking about the release of the song, she said "I wrote this song when I was coming through one of the darkest periods of my life. When I listen to it now, it's a great reminder that I made it through. It's three minutes of energizing hopefulness".[8] On some
vinyl versions of the album, American rapper
Diddy is featured on "Smile".[9] "Smile" was also promoted with remixes by Italian DJ
Giorgio Moroder and British DJ
Joel Corry.[10][11][12]
Critical reception
The song received mixed reviews. Vulture's Zoe Haylock called the song "empowering", comparing it to Perry's 2013 single "
Roar".[13] Jason Lipshutz from Billboard, also compared "Smile" to Perry's previous songs "
Walking on Air" and "
Birthday", both taken from Perry's fourth album, Prism (2013), calling "Smile" the "same sort of dizzy glitter-pop" Perry embraced on Prism.[14] In writing for Consequence of Sound, Wren Graves noted the song's positive message, stating that "lyrics [are] overbrimming with warmth and gratitude. The song evokes the light at the end of the tunnel".[15]Insider's Callie Ahlgrim labelled the song one of the worst of 2020, calling it "unbearably corny" and comparing it to the children's song "
Baby Shark".[16]
Perry released a performance video for "Smile" on July 14, 2020. In the video, she is dressed as a clown, in her "most fashionable clown attire, wearing an orange, polka-dotted blazer and matching blue jumper with whimsical tuxedo detailing across the front" and performs against a backdrop with a "number of giant clown hands, seated atop a comically oversized clown shoe and more".[20]
Music video
The official "Smile" music video was released on August 14, 2020 and features a video game theme, with Perry switching between real-life cosplay and animated video game characters. It was directed by
Mathew Miguel Cullen, with storyboarding by Cullen and Josh Chesler.[21]
Chart performance
"Smile" debuted at number ten on the New Zealand Hot Singles Chart, 22 in Scotland and 73 in the United Kingdom. It also debuted at number twenty-one on the US
Bubbling Under Hot 100.[22]
^"
ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Change the chart to CZ – RADIO – TOP 100 and insert 202050 into search. Retrieved December 14, 2020.