Sam Smith has released “When He’s Gone,” the third single from their upcoming fifth album, Hazel Eyes, according to Rolling Stone.
The song opens with finger-picked guitar before building into a fuller arrangement with drums and voices backing Smith’s vocals. In the lyrics, Smith sings about a painful breakup and the feeling of being left with everything falling apart.
In a statement, Smith said the album explores different sides of a relationship and described “When He’s Gone” as one of its more melancholy moments. They added that the song was recorded live without a click track so the final version could keep the feeling of a storm in the distance.
“When He’s Gone” follows the earlier singles “My Guy” and “Oh Mother.” All three songs will appear on Hazel Eyes, which is set for release on Aug. 21, according to Rolling Stone.
Smith’s last album, Gloria, came out in 2023 and included the Grammy-winning “Unholy.” Smith is also scheduled to play a series of mini residencies in Mexico and the United Kingdom through August and September, with the final show set for Sept. 19 at London’s Coliseum.
