"Gimme" is a song by English singer-songwriter

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure (band), Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch (song), Latch", which peaked at number eleven on ...

, Jamaican musician

Koffee Mikayla Victoria Simpson (born February 16, 2000), who performs under the stage name Original Koffee, is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, rapper, and guitarist from Spanish Town. She released her debut single "Burning" in 2017, and signed with Col ...

and Canadian singer-songwriter

Jessie Reyez Jessica Reyez (born June 12, 1991) is a Canadian singer-songwriter. Her 2016 single, "Figures", peaked at number 58 on the Canadian Hot 100 and received triple platinum certification by Music Canada (MC) and platinum by the Recording Industry A ...

, who previously collaborated with Smith in their song "

Promises A promise is a transaction whereby a person makes a vow or the suggestion of a guarantee. Promise(s) may also refer to: Places *Promise, Oregon *Promise, South Dakota *Promise City, Iowa *Promise Land, Tennessee or Promise Film and TV * Promise ...

". It was released on 11 January 2023, via

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

as the third single from Smith's fourth studio album ''Gloria''. It peaked at number 60 on the UK Singles Chart and number 63 on the IRMA chart.

Background

According to Smith, the video and the song are based around an actual experience they had with Reyez while creating the track in Jamaica. "Me and Jessie were basically drunk, drinking whisky in Jamaica, two in the morning, running around absolutely wasted, like two girlfriends having a laugh."

Composition and lyrics

"Gimme" is composed in the key of

B-flat minor B-flat minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has five flats. Its relative major is D-flat major and its parallel major is B-flat major. Its enharmonic equivalent, A-s ...

, and follows a

midtempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmos ...

of 104–108 beats per minute. Smith, Koffee, and Reyez perform with a vocal range of A-flat₃ to B-flat₄. The lyrics of the song allude to sexual themes, mainly the chorus. During an interview, Smith elaborates on the song's

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...

themes; "I’m a sexual person," Smith states, "I like sex. It’s something I’m teaching myself to not be ashamed of."

Critical reception

Madison Phipps of ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'' describes it as a sexual track; "with Reyez backing Smith on the thumping, repetitive chorus, the pair are lost in their own lust. 'Come over yah so may mi push yuh body to the limit,' Koffee raps, mirroring the dynamic of her collaborators." Emily Maskell of ''

Attitude Attitude or Attitude may refer to: Philosophy and psychology * Attitude (psychology), a disposition or state of mind ** Attitude change * Propositional attitude, a mental state held towards a proposition Science and technology * Orientation ...

'' states that the track is "a new era of sound" for Smith, positing that "the unabashed neediness of desire and explicitness of queer longing leaves you thinking 'Gimme' will be a staple on the dancefloor for the start of 2023." In a review of the album, Kitty Empire of ''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. First published in 1791, it is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper. In 1993 it was acquired by Guardian Media Group Limited, and operated as a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' ...

'' wrote that the song is a demonstration of how "Smith's vocals drip with yearning" fit with pop music, appreciating the involvement of Koffee and Jessie Reyez. Emma Harrison of ''Clash'' also appreciated the trio, describing the song as "a glitter-infused dancehall stormer" with "effervescent vibes and a bold and intoxicating rhythm". Writing for ''

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'', Jamieson Cox was less impressed by the collaboration, found it "anodyne at best and grating at worst".

Music video

A music video for "Gimme" was released online on 13 January 2023. The video depicts the three artists in a club, dancing and performing suggestively with each other.

Charts

References

{{Jessie Reyez 2023 singles 2023 songs Sam Smith (singer) songs Song recordings produced by Stargate (record producers) Songs written by Sam Smith (singer) Songs written by Jimmy Napes Songs written by Jessie Reyez Songs written by Mikkel Storleer Eriksen Songs written by Tor Erik Hermansen Capitol Records singles EMI Records singles