Sam Smith and Madonna are reading trolls and bigots on dirty, defiant queer anthem ‘Vulgar’
Madonna and Sam Smith are flipping off the haters on ‘Vulgar’ (Instagram/Sam Smith)
Sam Smith and Madonna have finally released their heavily-teased collaboration “Vulgar”, and it’s a dirty and defiant dance floor anthem.
Back at the Grammy Awards in February, the official Queen of Pop Madonna threw her support behind Sam Smith, after the “Unholy” singer faced bigoted backlash for daring to show skin in their new era.
Smith had faced criticism for using devilish imagery in their performances and expressing their sexuality in the run up to their fourth album Gloria, much like Madonna has done throughout her entire career.
From the moment Madonna stood up for Smith, the writing was on the wall: a collaboration was inevitable. In fact, in a new Instagram post, Smith has confirmed that they actually jumped in the studio with Madonna the day after the Grammys.
By the end of May, the pair were teasing a project under the name “S&M” – their initials – and it became clear that the queers were going to be fed for Pride Month.
Now, “Vulgar” has dropped, and it’s a feast. Over a throbbing beat, two of pop music’s most reviled artists snarl about quite simply not giving a f**k what the haters have to say.
“Look like I’m dressed to kill, love how I make me feel,” Smith says. “You know you’re beautiful when they call you vulgar. I do what I wanna, I go when I gotta. I’m sexy, I’m free.”
Over the past year, Smith has had to endure trolls and right-wing pundits intent on making them feel bad about the way they have embraced their body, their sexuality and their queerness. On “Vulgar”, they’re flipping their middle finger.
Sticks and stones may break their bones, but words will never stop them from feeling their oats.
On verse two, Madonna chimes in, at first with a throwback to one of her biggest and best songs. It’s a reminder that the critics are messing with an untouchable music megastar.
“Let’s get into the groove, you know just what to do. Boy, get down on your knees ’cause I am Madonna,” she growls.
Then she makes it very clear that she is, and always will be, standing in Smith’s corner: “If you f**k with Sam tonight, you’re f**king with me. So watch what you say or I’ll split your banana.”
Seeing a history-making, non-binary star collaborating with the pop’s greatest musical LGBTQ+ ally is, as the internet’s reaction shows, pretty special.
While the permanently furious Piers Morgan shared his thoughts on the track, saying it’s “what hell looks like”, Sam Smith and Madonna likely remain unbothered – in a few weeks time, both stars will be travelling the world on their own separate international tours.
“Vulgar” is produced by Sam Smith alongside Ilya, Cirkut, Omer Fedi and One Republic’s Ryan Tedder.
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