"I'm Not Here to Make Friends" is a song by English singerSam Smith. It was released on 27 January 2023 byCapitol Records as the fourth single from Smith's 2023 studio album,Gloria. The song was produced byCalvin Harris,Stargate, and Smith, and features vocals byRuPaul andJessie Reyez. Smith previously collaborated with Harris and Reyez on "Promises" in 2018.
Sam Smith announced through a social media post their fourth studio albumGloria, attached with the official cover art, on 17 October 2022 after the release of the album's lead single "Unholy".[1]
The track was announced on 30 November 2022, via a clip on Smith's official social media platforms. In the clip, Smith is mouthing the lyrics to the song while clothed in apashmina dress, but is slowly revealed to be solely wearingfishnets overunderwear with exposed thighs.[2]
The track received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Jamieson Cox ofPitchfork described the song as "a whirlwind of grown-up lust that evokesGeorge Michael... circa 'Fastlove' and 'Outside.'"[3] Lindsay Zoladz ofThe New York Times describes the song as "sleek, glittery... [and] taps into the pop-disco revival ignited by artists likeDua Lipa andJessie Ware, taking its shout-along hook from a common reality show refrain."[4]
Alexis Petridis ofThe Guardian refers to the track as one of the highlights ofGloria, describing it as a "disco-fied" track about "finding a one-night stand on the dancefloor."[5] Petridis later states that "elsewhere, their voice proves a problem. If you sing about loving yourself or flirtation in the same disconsolate tone that you sing about being abandoned by your recent ex-partner... it’s going to have a levelling effect, making the material seem less varied."
A music video for "I'm Not Here to Make Friends" was released on 27 January 2023.[7] It was directed byTanu Muino. The video starts with Smith, wearing an enormous pink coat designed by Japanese fashion designer Tomo Koizumi, arriving atAshridge, Hertfordshire, by helicopter. Once inside, dancers and drag queens surround the singer for a series of routines, with Smith wearing different outfits for each routine. It received controversy online due to its suggestive nature.[8]
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Czech). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiální. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 18. týden 2023 in the date selector. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
^"ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Radio Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic.Note: Select 10. týden 2023 in the date selector. Retrieved 13 March 2023.
