I'm Not Here to Make Friends explained

"I'm Not Here to Make Friends" is a song by English singer-songwriter Sam Smith. It was released on 27 January 2023 by Capitol Records as the fourth single from Smith's 2023 studio album, Gloria. The song was produced by Calvin Harris, StarGate, Jimmy Napes and Smith, and features vocals by RuPaul and Jessie Reyez. Smith previously collaborated with Harris and Reyez on "Promises" in 2018.

Background

Sam Smith announced through a social media post their fourth studio album Gloria, attached with the official cover art, on 17 October 2022 after the release of the album's lead single "Unholy".^[1]

The track was announced on 30 November 2022, via a clip on Smith's official social media platforms. In the clip, Smith is mouthing the lyrics to the song while clothed in a pashmina dress, but is slowly revealed to be solely wearing fishnets over underwear with exposed thighs.^[2]

Critical reception

The track received mixed to positive reviews from critics. Jamieson Cox of Pitchfork described the song as "a whirlwind of grown-up lust that evokes George Michael... circa 'Fastlove' and 'Outside.'"^[3] Lindsay Zoladz of The New York Times describes the song as "sleek, glittery... [and] taps into the pop-disco revival ignited by artists like Dua Lipa and Jessie Ware, taking its shout-along hook from a common reality show refrain."^[4]

Alexis Petridis of The Guardian refers to the track as one of the highlights of Gloria, describing it as a "disco-fied" track about "finding a one-night stand on the dancefloor."^[5] Petridis later states that "elsewhere, their voice proves a problem. If you sing about loving yourself or flirtation in the same disconsolate tone that you sing about being abandoned by your recent ex-partner... it’s going to have a levelling effect, making the material seem less varied."

Year-end lists

Publication! scope="col"

List	Rank
Billboard	The 100 Best Songs of 2023 (Staff Picks)		[6]

Music video

A music video for "I'm Not Here to Make Friends" was released on 27 January 2023.^[7] It was directed by Tanu Muino. The video starts with Smith, wearing an enormous pink coat, arriving at Ashridge, Hertfordshire, by helicopter. Once inside, dancers and drag queens surround the singer for a series of routines, with Smith wearing different outfits for each routine. It received controversy online due to its suggestive nature.^[8]

The video was nominated at the 2023 UK Music Video Awards for Best Pop Video – UK.^[9]

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
Croatia (HRT)[10]	2
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)[11]	5
Lithuania (AGATA)[12]	45
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)[13]	2
Poland (Polish Airplay Top 100)[14]	12
San Marino (SMRRTV Top 50)[15]	7
South Korea (Circle)[16]	144
Suriname (Nationale Top 40)[17]	8
Sweden Heatseeker (Sverigetopplistan)[18]	2

Monthly charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Peak position
Russia Airplay (TopHit)[19]	75
South Korea (Circle)[20]	152

Year-end charts

Chart (2023)! scope="col"

Position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[21]	32
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[22]	56

Release history

Region! scope="col"

Date	Format	Label
Various	27 January 2023		Capitol	[23]
Italy		Contemporary hit radio	Universal	[24]
United States	30 January 2023	Adult contemporary radio	Capitol	[25]
	31 January 2023	Contemporary hit radio		[26]

Notes and References

1. Mier . Tomás . 17 October 2022 . Sam Smith Announces Fourth Album 'Gloria': It 'Feels Like a Coming of Age' . 26 January 2023 . Rolling Stone . en-US . 18 October 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221018072410/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/sam-smith-announces-album-gloria-1234612540/ . live .
2. Daw . Stephen . 30 November 2022 . Sam Smith Is 'Not Here To Make Friends' in Pantless Song Teaser: Watch the Clip . 21 January 2023 . Billboard . en-US . 21 January 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230121181148/https://www.billboard.com/culture/pride/sam-smith-im-not-here-to-make-friends-teaser-1235178783/ . live .
3. Web site: Sam Smith: Gloria . 3 February 2023 . Pitchfork . en-US . 12 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230212090651/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/sam-smith-gloria/ . live .
4. News: Zoladz . Lindsay . 26 January 2023 . Sam Smith Seeks Self-Acceptance and Catharsis, and a Sound to Match . en-US . . live . 3 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230211142558/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/arts/music/sam-smith-gloria-review.html . 11 February 2023 . 0362-4331.
5. News: Petridis . Alexis . 26 January 2023 . Sam Smith: Gloria review – so-called experimentation only offers more anodyne anguish . en-GB . The Guardian . 3 February 2023 . 0261-3077 . 12 February 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230212060204/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/26/sam-smith-gloria-review-emi-fourth-album . live .
6. Web site: 7 December 2023 . The 100 Best Songs of 2023: Staff Picks . 7 December 2023 . www.billboard.com.
7. Web site: Sam Smith - I'm Not Here to Make Friends. 27 January 2023 . YouTube. 4 February 2023. 4 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230204022204/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjHhqLSiN4. live.
8. Web site: Swash . Rebecca . Collins . Riyah . 31 January 2023 . What's behind the backlash to Sam Smith's video? . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230206060800/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-64451510.amp . 6 February 2023 . 6 February 2023.
9. Web site: Peacock . Tim . 28 September 2023 . Stormzy, James Blake Among Nominees For 2023 U.K. Music Video Awards . 7 October 2023 . udiscovermusic.
10. Web site: HRT Airplay Radio Chart No. 1078 – Issue Date: May 8th 2023. HRT. 12 May 2023. en. 9 May 2023.
11. Web site: Billboard Japan Hot Overseas – Week of February 8, 2023. Billboard Japan. ja. 8 February 2023. 8 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230208042512/https://www.billboard-japan.com/charts/detail?a=d_and_a_overseas&year=2023&month=02&day=13. live.
12. Web site: 2023 5-os savaitės klausomiausi (Top 100). AGATA. lt. 3 February 2023. 10 February 2023. 3 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230203121413/https://www.agata.lt/lt/naujienos/s5/. live.
13. Web site: NZ Hot Singles Chart. Recorded Music NZ. 6 February 2023. 4 February 2023. 4 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230204015120/https://nztop40.co.nz/chart/hotsingles?chart=5500. live.
14. Web site: OLiS – oficjalna lista airplay. OLiS. Polish. 6 March 2023. Select week 25.02.2023–03.03.2023..
15. Web site: Top 50 – Radio San Marino RTV – 03/03/2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230303040311/https://www.sanmarinortv.sm/radio/radio-san-marino/top-50-ascoltare . 2023-03-03 . it . . 3 March 2023 . 25 July 2024.
16. Web site: Digital Chart – Week 7 of 2023. Circle Chart. ko. 23 February 2023.
17. Web site: Top 40 – 06 April Tot 13 April 2023. Top 40 – April 6 to April 13, 2023. Nationale Top 40 Suriname. 6 April 2023. 5 July 2023.
18. Web site: Veckolista Heatseeker, vecka 6. Sverigetopplistan. 11 February 2023. 10 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230210145411/https://www.sverigetopplistan.se/chart/215?dspy=2023&dspp=6. live.
19. Web site: Top Radio Hits Russia Monthly Chart March 2023. TopHit. 31 March 2023. 18 November 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231118172007/https://tophit.com/chart/top/radio/hits/russia/monthly/2023-03-01. dead.
20. Web site: Digital Chart – February 2023 . 9 March 2022 . . ko.
21. Web site: Jaaroverzichten 2023. Ultratop. nl. 7 January 2024.
22. Web site: Rapports annuels 2023. Ultratop. fr. 7 January 2024.
23. Web site: Spotify - I'm Not Here to Make Friends. Spotify. 4 February 2023. 4 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230204093341/https://open.spotify.com/track/3i0FkJYlU4MFfYkjFHXXAM. live.
24. Web site: Sam Smith "I'm Not Here to Make Friends" (Radio Date: 27/01/2023). Seminara. Emanuela Ali. radiodate.it. 4 February 2023. 27 January 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230127135429/https://radiodate.it/radio-date/sam-smith-calvin-harris-jessie-reyez-i-m-not-here-to-make-friends-234631-27-01-2023-radiodate/. live.
25. Web site: Hot/Modern/AC Future Releases. AllAccess. 4 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230130180600/https://www.allaccess.com/hot-modern-ac/future-releases. 30 January 2023.
26. Web site: Top 40/M Future Releases. AllAccess. 4 February 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230130231912/https://www.allaccess.com/top40-mainstream/future-releases. 30 January 2023.