In other countries, "Dancing with a Stranger" peaked inside top ten in Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Canada, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, Iceland, Lebanon and Sweden. It also topped the US Adult Top 40 and reached number two on the Mainstream Top 40 chart, behind " Sucker" by the Jonas Brothers. In May 2019, "Dancing with a Stranger" topped the US Radio Songs chart, becoming Smith's second and Normani's first chart topper there. In the United States, the song peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 2019, making it Smith's sixth and Normani's second top ten single in the US. It was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry. In the United Kingdom, "Dancing with a Stranger" peaked at number three on the UK Singles Chart in January 2019, becoming Smith's eleventh and Normani's first top ten single in the UK. The song received praise from actress Reese Witherspoon who dubbed it the “Song of the Summer”. Billboard ranked it 38th on their Best Songs of 2019 list. Īssociated Press ranked it as the 2nd Best Song of 2019. Billboard magazine called the song a "sexy earworm", lauding the pair's "standout vocal delivery", with Smith's "seductive falsetto accompanied by Normani's smoky counterpart". Mike Nied of Idolator wrote that the song "expertly capture the frustration and loneliness of heartbreak, bottling it and presenting it as something both deeply personal and infinitely relatable". Rose Dommu of Out praised the duo's vocals, calling Normani's "sultry voice is the perfect counterpoint to Smith’s own deep tone". She concluded her review by calling the song "simple and fun". Critical reception īrittany Spanos, writing for Rolling Stone, stated the song "plays to retro-leaning strengths and Normani's own solo vision of being a Sexy soul-dance diva". Lyrically, the song is about coping with loneliness and moving past a lost love. David Renshaw, writing for The Fader, called the song a "veer away from gentle soul sound". Journalist Monica Mercuri of Forbes described the single as "sultry" and showing off the singer's "powerful" vocals. The latter two also handled production for the track alongside Danny D and Tim Blacksmith.
The song was written by Smith, Normani, Napes and Stargate. Musically, "Dancing with a Stranger" is a disco- R&B and pop duet that contains 1980s-inspired R&B production.
After talking, the two decided to work together. When Smith was writing a track with their frequent collaborator Jimmy Napes and Norwegian producers Stargate, Normani happened to be in the studio next door. The track won the Song of the Year award at the 2020 BMI London Awards, and was nominated for Song of 2019 at the People's Choice Awards, and Song of the Year at the 2020 Brit Awards.Īccording to Billboard, the collaboration happened through a chance encounter at a recording studio in Los Angeles. As of March 2021, the single was the 27th most streamed song by a female artist (Normani) in the UK. "Dancing with a Stranger" was the most-played radio track of 2019, according to Forbes. The single is certified 4x Platinum in the US, and is certified Platinum or higher in ten additional countries. The track became a commercial success, reaching number one in Mexico, Iceland, and Lebanon, number three in the United Kingdom, number seven in the United States, and the top ten in twenty-one additional countries. It appears on Smith's third studio album Love Goes (2020). "Dancing with a Stranger" was released as a single by Capitol Records on 11 January 2019. Eriksen, Tor Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Napes. It was written by Smith, Normani, Jimmy Napes, Mikkel S. " Dancing with a Stranger" is a song by British singer Sam Smith and American singer Normani. 2019 single by Sam Smith and Normani "Dancing with a Stranger"