ADRIAN THRILLS: Sam’s inner diva is released

SAM SMITH: Glory (Capitol)

Qualification: ***

Verdict: Adventurous but uneven return

Despite having one of the most striking voices in British pop, Sam Smith has generally played it safe in the studio.

The Cambridgeshire singer’s three albums have been fluid and introspective, dominated by tales of unrequited love. They’ve been sold in droves, but haven’t taken too many risks.

The fourth effort, Gloria, described as ‘my diva album’, could change perceptions. It’s not exactly a leap into the unknown, with those great torch songs still present, but there’s a freshness to it that sees Smith dabble in disco, dancehall reggae, and most daringly, a chorus-sung anthem.

The singer, who came out as non-binary in 2019 and uses gender-neutral pronouns, is now augmenting the lovelorn ballads of yore with upbeat material about self-respect and empowerment.

It’s a move that was hinted at, but not quite delivered, on 2020’s Love Goes. Gloria is unpredictable, but she brings out the best in a smooth voice that Beyoncé once likened to the texture of butter.

There are also many helping hands. Blockbuster producers Stargate, Max Martin and Calvin Harris are all on board, along with regular collaborator Jimmy Napes, and there are co-writers with Swedish-Iranian artist Ilya Salmanzadeh, plus duets with Ed Sheeran, Jessie Reyez, Kim Petras and the artist from reggae Koffee.

It’s a great supporting cast, but Smith’s voice holds its own, enriching some decent songs with shaky flourishes. Love Me More is laid-back, but at least it puts a positive spin on the singer’s self-esteem issues (“Lately it doesn’t hurt like it used to”). Perfecto, a duet with Reyez, is subdued and understated.

The most interesting moments come when those voices are pushed to the limit. Unholy, a duet with Petras, is a chant crafted around an Arabic scale that gave Smith an eighth UK number 1 and topped the US chart.

Gimme, featuring Reyez and Jamaican star Koffee, is a good track on the cusp of reggae and R&B. The best ballad on the album is Who We Love. A duet with Sheeran, it’s a song about tolerance, a plea echoed in the Hurting Interlude, built around excerpts from a news report on the first New York Pride celebration in 1970.

Smith, whose breakthrough hit came as a guest with electronic duo Disclosure, also returns to the club with two retro-flavoured dance tracks. Lose You, an upbeat breakup song, echoes George Michael. Directed by Calvin Harris, I’m Not Here to Make Friends is a floor-packing hit.

There’s also, in the title track, that unexpected foray into choral music. Done with a choir from the Saffron Walden church that Smith attended as a child, it’s a bold move.

Coldplay’s When I Need A Friend, from 2019, is the only track to have explored similar ground recently. All of which reiterates the feeling that the singer, 30, is at her best when she tries something different.

“30 almost got me and I’m so sick of love songs,” says I’m Not Here To Make Friends. It certainly makes Smith a more enterprising artist.

AVA MAX: Diamonds and Dance Floors (Atlantic)

Classification: ****

Verdict: Brilliant Pop Gems

Ballads, or anything too close to mid-tempo, are anathema to America’s latest song-and-dance sensation.

Diamonds & Dancefloors, the second album from Ava Max, a mini-Madonna born 28 years ago in Milwaukee, is determined in her pursuit of pulsing rhythms, TikTok-ready hooks and attention-grabbing choruses.

Max, whose parents moved from Albania in the 1990s, already scored a big British hit in Sweet But Psycho, a catchy anthem (and workout favorite) that topped the singles chart in 2019. He’d probably be a bigger star. here if there was their progress has not been interrupted by the pandemic.

Now he is making up for lost time. Co-written with her producer Cirkut, whose pedigree includes Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball, Diamonds & Dancefloors, it bills as a harrowing album, but it’s not one that delves too deeply into lyrics. Its strength lies in Max’s punchy voice, a soprano that is capable of hitting deeper notes, and songs that are just so much fun.

There are nods to Lady Gaga and, on Million Dollar Baby, a tune taken (with correct credits) from LeAnn Rimes’ Can’t Fight The Moonlight. Ghost likens a fading love affair to a supernatural event, and Weapons touches, in a peculiar way, on the chemistry of the human body: “We’re nothing but stardust and molecules.”

Beneath the razzmatazz, there are occasional hints of something darker. “I’ve got a gun under my pillow,” Max sings on Cold As Ice. Get Outta My Heart showcases the sheet music for the psychological thriller Twisted Nerve. The title track features a woman dancing alone in a closet, something that won’t be a problem for Ava anymore.

SG LEWIS: AudioLust and HigherLove (PMR)

Qualification: ***

Verdict: DJ moves to center stage

“I exist in the space between the DJ and the artist,” says SG Lewis.

Having worked on Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia and Elton John’s Lockdown Sessions, Lewis is now following in the footsteps of former DJs Calvin Harris and Mark Ronson to become an artist in his own right.

His second album reiterates his credentials. Infatuation is all sleek beats and euphoric lyrics, and Swedish diva Tove Lo invites the synth number Call On Me.

Dance floors are her focus, but Lewis also explores Hall & Oates-style pop on Lifetime. He is a star in the making.

• Sam Smith kicks off a tour on April 12 at Utilita Arena, Sheffield (ticketmaster.co.uk). SG Lewis kicks off his tour on March 28 at the Stylus, Leeds (sglewismusic.com).