Rare Sam Smith-Demi Lovato collaboration created with ‘love and happiness’

Sam Smith (left) and Demi Lovato

Sam Smith and Demi Lovato can’t wait to take on greater risks, as much for their personal lives as for the anthemic song they recently recorded together.

The single, “I’m Ready,” is a rousing anthem about managing vulnerability and bravery in the face of impending romance. It also urges people to “feel no shame” over the hard choices they make in life: “I’ve been lookin’ hard for a lover disguised as a sinner/ Not a cheater, a redeemer/ He’s a cold-blooded defeater/ It’s a hot night in my head in the chill of the winter.”

We’ve all heard about the string of challenges Sam and Demi had to hurdle to get to where they are—from coming to terms with bullying and body image, to dealing with depression and genderqueer issues (“I feel just as much a woman as I am a man,” Sam was famously quoted in interviews three years ago).

This time, as their first-ever duet song suggests, Sam and Demi are ready for “more exciting fun” with a healthier mind-set.

With a pounding beat complemented by the duo’s propulsive vocals, the song, which will be included in Sam’s upcoming third studio album, is characterized by the catchy elements that have been driving the steel-voiced performers’ chart-topping musicality—with choir-embellished sections that blend well with hooks that teem with a zesty, swishy disco vibe.

The music video is just as daring, showing Sam incorporating a string of sexy and sensational dance moves as he happily gyrates with male dancers clad in revealing leather-looking swimwear—truly a sight to behold for fans of the gifted singer who’s not really known for his terpsichorean skills.

In what looks like a metaphor to her recently renewed zest for life, Demi is judiciously positioned at the edge of a swimming pool platform, unmindful of the dangers that could lurk underneath.

“Demi and I are so excited to share this song with you,” Sam told Apple Music. “I’ve never had so much fun creating and releasing a single before. It was amazing to work with Demi, and creating our very own queer Olympics for the video.”

Check out the music video, and see for yourself how all their hard work for this rare collaboration has paid off, although that comes as no surprise for Sam: Debuting at No. 36 on the Billboard 100 this week, the radio-ready track is slowly but surely inching its way into music lovers’ playlists.

“We created the song surrounded by love and happiness—and the outcome feels incredibly powerful,” he said. “So, I hope that in this unsettling and sad time, ‘I’m Ready’ makes you smile. Sing it with us from the top of your voice!” INQ