Grammy-winning, British pop sensation Sam Smith taps Grammy-nominated, Maryland rapper Logic for a remix of his heartfelt single, “Pray.”

Sam Smith didn’t disappoint on his highly-anticipated sophomore album, The Thrill of It All.    In advance of the project’s release, Smith issued three singles: “Too Good at Goodbyes”, “Pray”, and “Burning.” All three of the singles were intriguing, but “Pray” incorporated some notable religious skepticism into the mix, making it particularly intriguing.  Smith cooks up a remix of the haunting single, featuring agile American rapper, Logic.

In the original “Pray,” the soul shows up from the jump, with hums, straight from the church. That’s not the case on the remix.  While the gospel flavor is retained, Logic kicks things off with a brief verse, prior to the exceptional, nuanced vocals of Sam Smith.

“They never knew my struggle

Rose above the bubble

Rather live inside they bubble then go through the trouble of

Havin’ they double-double vision correct it…”

Even with Logic taking the reins, the beginning of “Pray remains relatively intimate. The inviting nature of the record remains intact as well. Following the moving chorus, Logic returns for a lengthier verse.  Naturally, he refers to all things spiritually-related – sin, judgement, prayer, etc.  He bounces between straight (most compelling) rhymes and some of the pop-rap that has become part of his style as of late.  Following the verse, Sam Smith drops another chorus, before he lets loose on the bridge, arguably the crowning achievement of the original or remixed version.

Final Thoughts

The original version of “Pray” is a glorious song.  The remix doesn’t feel necessary, and that’s no knock or shade towards Logic.  He’s a talented rapper, and more often than not, he has some meaningful, socially-charged messages to offer as an artist.  But, in the case of this particular song, just doesn’t feel as strong as the original.

Sam Smith • Pray (Ft. Logic) – Single • Capitol • Release: 3.30.18

Photo Credit: Capitol