Does Sam Smith Write Their Own Music? Songwriting Credits & Scores

By the Numbers

4

Studio Albums

44

Tracks Credited

98%

Self-Written

19

Years Active

75

Collaborators

Authorship Breakdown 43 / 44 self-written

Who wrote the songs?

Across all 44 tracks: how many Sam Smith wrote alone, how many they co-wrote, and how many were written by others. The bracket marks every track they hold any writing credit on.

Sam Smith has a writing credit98%

98%

2%

Sole author0tracks0%

Co-written43tracks98%

Outside writers1tracks2%

Role Fingerprint how they contribute

Sam Smith's roles across the catalogue

Share of all 44 tracks where they are personally credited, by role.

Lyricist (words)98%

Composer (music)98%

Producer25%

Performer100%

Authorship Over Time writing credit per album

Sam Smith's writing credit per album, in release order. Hover any bar for the album.

avg 98%

100%

92%

2014In the Lonely Hour

2017The Thrill of It All

2020Love Goes

2023Gloria

Early · 100% written

Late · 96% written

Authorship by Decade track-weighted

100%

2010s

In the Lonely Hour, The Thrill of It All

96%

2020s

Love Goes, Gloria

Authorship Spectrum pure performer to complete author

Where Sam Smith sits on the scale from a pure performer (0%, sings songs written by others) to a complete author (100%, writes everything). The bright marker is their catalogue authorship score, plotted against other artists on the site.

Sam Smith

Other artists on the site

Reference artists spread across the scale, closest by genre and era.

Whitney Houston5%

The Jacksons24%

NSYNC41%

Michael Jackson51%

Stevie Wonder64%

Christina Aguilera74%

Pink85%

98%Sam Smith

Pure Performer0%

Songwriter~50%

Complete Author100%

Who Really Wrote the Hits signature songs

Stay with Me

In the Lonely Hour

Written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, William Phillips, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne

Co-wrote

I'm Not the Only One

In the Lonely Hour

Written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes

Co-wrote

Lay Me Down

In the Lonely Hour

Written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, Elvin Smith

Co-wrote

Like I Can

In the Lonely Hour

Written by Sam Smith, Matt Prime

Co-wrote

Too Good at Goodbyes

The Thrill of It All

Written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen

Co-wrote

Pray

The Thrill of It All

Written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, Timbaland, Darryl Pearson, Larrance Dopson, Jose A. Valasquez

Co-wrote

Diamonds

Love Goes

Written by Sam Smith, Oscar Görres, Shellback

Co-wrote

Unholy

Gloria

Written by Sam Smith, Jimmy Napes, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Henry Walter, Blake Slatkin, Omer Fedi, Kim Petras

Co-wrote

I'm Not Here to Make Friends

Gloria

Written by Sam Smith, Jessie Reyez, Jimmy Napes, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Erik Hermansen

Co-wrote

Discography 4 albums

2014100%

In the Lonely Hour

Capitol / Method Records

10 tracks

2017100%

The Thrill of It All

Capitol Records

10 tracks

2020100%

Love Goes

Capitol Records

11 tracks

202392%

Gloria

Capitol Records

13 tracks

Collaborator Network who they worked with most

Sam Smith44 tracks

JN30 SF15 MS9 TE9 S8 I4

Bubble size = tracks worked on together. JN Jimmy Napes · SF Steve Fitzmaurice · MS Mikkel S. Eriksen · TE Tor Erik Hermansen · S Stargate · I Ilya

The Writers & Producers Behind Sam Smith 6 key collaborators

JN

Jimmy Napes

Songwriter

In the Lonely Hour / The Thrill of It All / Love Goes / Gloria30 tracks

SF

Steve Fitzmaurice

Producer

In the Lonely Hour / The Thrill of It All15 tracks

MS

Mikkel S. Eriksen

Songwriter

The Thrill of It All / Love Goes / Gloria9 tracks

TE

Tor Erik Hermansen

Songwriter

The Thrill of It All / Love Goes / Gloria9 tracks

S

Stargate

Producer

The Thrill of It All / Love Goes / Gloria8 tracks

I

Ilya

Producer

Love Goes / Gloria4 tracks

The Authorship Story

Data Insight

Sam Smith co-writes every track in their catalog, giving them a near-100% lyricist score across all four studio albums. Their primary creative partner is Jimmy Napes, who appears as a co-writer and co-producer on the majority of tracks across all four records. Smith does not self-produce, so their composer score is lower, production is consistently delegated to collaborators including Steve Fitzmaurice, Stargate, Ilya, and others. The lyricist/composer split is characteristic of a pop songwriter who focuses on melody and words while outsourcing sonic production.

Quick Facts

GrammysWon four Grammy Awards at the 2015 ceremony, including Record and Song of the Year for 'Stay with Me'
Academy AwardWon the Oscar for Best Original Song for 'Writing's on the Wall' from Spectre
Stay with Me settlementTom Petty and Jeff Lynne were added as co-writers after a claim over its similarity to 'I Won't Back Down'
Main collaboratorJimmy Napes has co-written and co-produced most of their catalogue
UnholyTheir 2022 hit with Kim Petras reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100

Creative Fingerprint

A co-writer with one steady partner: Sam Smith is credited on about 98% of their catalogue, co-writing nearly every song, most often with Jimmy Napes, rather than singing songs written entirely by others.

The Story

Sam Smith (born Samuel Frederick Smith, 19 May 1992) is a British singer-songwriter from London. They rose to prominence with the debut single "Money on My Mind" in 2014 and achieved mainstream breakthrough with "Stay with Me," which won Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Song of the Year in 2015. Smith came out as non-binary in October 2019 and has since been one of the most prominent non-binary voices in mainstream pop. Their music blends pop, soul, and R&B with intimate, emotionally direct songwriting. Smith co-writes virtually every song in their catalog, primarily alongside longtime collaborator Jimmy Napes, while working with a rotating roster of external producers.

Awards & Recognition

Won four Grammy Awards at the 2015 ceremony, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year for 'Stay with Me'

Won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song for 'Writing's on the Wall' (Spectre)

In the Lonely Hour (2014) won the Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album

'Unholy' with Kim Petras reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2022

Frequently Asked Questions Sam Smith

Does Sam Smith write their own songs?

Yes. Sam Smith is credited on about 98% of their catalogue, co-writing nearly every song rather than performing material written entirely by others. Their most frequent partner is Jimmy Napes, who helped write hits like 'Stay with Me' and 'Too Good at Goodbyes.' Smith, who uses they/them pronouns, is a genuine songwriter, not just a vocalist.

Why do Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne have credits on 'Stay with Me'?

'Stay with Me' was written by Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes, but after release [Tom Petty](/artist/tom-petty/) and Jeff Lynne were added as co-writers over its similarity to Petty's 'I Won't Back Down.' A 2014 settlement gave them a share of the royalties. Smith has said the resemblance was a coincidence.

Who wrote 'Too Good at Goodbyes'?

'Too Good at Goodbyes,' the lead single from The Thrill of It All (2017), was co-written by Sam Smith with Jimmy Napes and others. It returned Smith to the top of the UK chart and continued the confessional ballad style of their debut.

Did Sam Smith win a Grammy?

Yes, four at once. At the 2015 Grammys, Sam Smith won Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for 'Stay with Me,' and Best Pop Vocal Album for In the Lonely Hour. They later won an Oscar for 'Writing's on the Wall.'

Who wrote 'Unholy'?

'Unholy,' from Gloria (2023), was co-written and performed by Sam Smith and Kim Petras along with a team of writers. It became Smith's first US number one and made history for its performers at the Grammys.

How many albums has Sam Smith released?

This catalogue covers four studio albums: In the Lonely Hour (2014), The Thrill of It All (2017), Love Goes (2020), and Gloria (2023).

Who is Jimmy Napes?

Jimmy Napes is a British songwriter and producer who is Sam Smith's closest collaborator. He co-wrote and co-produced much of their catalogue, including 'Stay with Me' and 'Writing's on the Wall,' and shares in Smith's Grammy and Oscar wins.

What genre is Sam Smith?

Sam Smith makes pop, soul, and R&B, known for emotional ballads like 'Stay with Me' and 'Lay Me Down' alongside dance-pop moments like 'Unholy.'

Sources

Wikipedia: Sam Smith