From its white-knuckle grip on the charts to its equally tight hold on Tiktok, where it rose to the status of viral sensation, Sam Smith and Kim Petras‘ “Unholy” is a pop artist’s wet dream. And for Disclosure, it’s an all-too-fitting remix opportunity ripe for the taking.
The Lawrence brothers, who previously rubbed shoulders with Smith on their smash Settle (Deluxe) single, “Latch”—which just turned 10 years old—capitalize on the commercial craze surrounding “Unholy” with a heady, house-facing take that preserves the original’s panache. The single’s Arabian scale, commonly associated with Eastern sounds and, undoubtedly, a contributor to its ability to stand out in a saturated pop market, has a heightened presence on Disclosure’s version, which embraces this element in a noticeably longer framework. The Brits extend the dizzying sonic drama of “Unholy” by more than one minute, making for a remix that hits digital streaming platforms with equal potency as its reference.
“When Sam Smith sent us ‘Unholy,’ we sat and listened to it in a weird casino hotel in Arizona and instantly knew what had to be done. It’s been a pleasure to watch Sam grow and evolve sonically. This one stood out like an angry evil bull in a flowery meadow,” Disclosure said.
Featured image: Rohan Park
