Gimme
by Sam Smith (featuring Jessie Reyez)

Album: Gloria (2023)
Charted: 60
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Gimme" is a clubby, dancehall-infused lover's call featuring Colombian/Canadian R&B-pop star Jessie Reyez and Jamaican reggae/rap artist Koffee.
  • The track is lively with a dancehall style. It creates an erotic atmosphere as Smith and Reyez express their desires to their romantic partners. The lyrics, which are playfully suggestive, convey their tongue-in-cheek wish that their significant others give them what they want, in this case, sex. Koffee's energetic reggae flow injects extra energy into the song, adding a new flavor to the same saucy message.

    Smith described the track as "filth," adding they wanted to express their sexual perspective in the track. "I'm a sexual person, I like sex. It's something I'm teaching myself to not be ashamed of," they said. "Me and Jessie were basically drunk, drinking whisky in Jamaica, two in the morning, running around absolutely wasted, like two girlfriends having a laugh."
  • Smith and Reyez co-wrote "Gimme" alongside Jimmy Napes and the Norwegian production duo Stargate, comprising Mikkel S. Eriksen and Tor Hermansen. Smith, Napes and Stargate cooked up a minimalist tropical pop beat with Jamaican producer Anju Blaxx.

    Napes has had a long-standing collaborative relationship with Smith since the singer's breakthrough singles "Stay With Me" and "Lay Me Down."

    Smith, Napes, and Stargate have worked together on several previous occasions, including "Too Good At Goodbyes," "To Die For," and "Love Me More."
  • After writing "Gimme" in Jamaica, Smith and Reyez sent it to Koffee, who jumped on the track. "I remember showing Jessie and just screaming when we heard the verse because we just adore Koffee and it was just an honor to work with these people," Smith recalled to BBC Radio 1's Clara Amfo.
  • Reyez and Koffee reunited with Smith in New York City to film song's music video under the direction of Jeano Edwards, a Jamaican-born, Brooklyn-based director and photographer. The clip captures the three artists at a party where different cultures come together in a celebration of diversity and joy. The smooth camera work follows the trio throughout the shindig.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine

The Untold Story Of Fiona Apple's Extraordinary MachineSong Writing

Fiona's highly-anticipated third album almost didn't make it. Here's how it finally came together after two years and a leak.

U2

U2Fact or Fiction

How did The Edge get his name? Did they name a song after a Tolkien book? And who is "Angel of Harlem" about?

80s Video Director Jay Dubin

80s Video Director Jay DubinSong Writing

Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.

Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty

Rob Thomas of Matchbox TwentySongwriter Interviews

Rob Thomas on his Social Distance Sessions, co-starring with a camel, and his friendship with Carlos Santana.

Dave Edmunds

Dave EdmundsSongwriter Interviews

A renowned guitarist and rock revivalist, Dave took "I Hear You Knocking" to the top of the UK charts and was the first to record Elvis Costello's "Girls Talk."

Stephen Christian of Anberlin

Stephen Christian of AnberlinSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.