‘Smooth’ Single Review: A Much-Needed Trip Back to the Early 2010s

Drew Taggart and Alex Pall — better known as The Chainsmokers — remind us that they are, in fact, “working overtime” with their newest single “Smooth,” a classic yet refreshing track from the EDM dance-pop partners.

Untraditional for the genre, the song starts with a soft piano instrumental and lightly-mixed vocals from Taggart. With the addition of a few acoustic guitar chords in the background, an earnest reflection takes place as evident in the lines, “I let the bottle talk again / Said something stupid about the other night.” With delicate vocal flips and a piercing sincerity, the lines “Why’s it so hard for you to get close to me right now? / I guess I’m not as smooth as I used to be” are intimate, engaging, and ultimately relatable. Shortly after, the introduction of a strong, synth-pop percussion switches the tempo to something a little more reminiscent of a textbook Chainsmokers song.

“Smooth” is not the first release of 2025 for The Chainsmokers. The song follows the arrival of the duo’s two other singles, “Helium” and “White Wine & Adderall,” both collaborations with artists Anna Sofia and Beau Nox, respectively. What sets “Smooth” apart from its predecessors is its relative simplicity. It’s worth noting that traditionally, The Chainsmokers have written songs with confidence and spontaneity, reflecting pure youthfulness. With that in mind, in the previously mentioned songs, the beat drops pack more of a punch. While “Smooth” has a rapid drum beat leading up to the big drop, the result falls short, as does the frequent repetition of the lyrics “I guess I’m not as smooth” which echoes unexcitingly throughout an otherwise energizing song.

However, the song doesn’t aim to be the embodiment of a discothéque banger — it instead encourages listeners to reflect inward yet not take themselves too seriously, enticing them to play the song again once it’s over. The contrast between the weight of the lyrics and the elevated tempo of the song allow for an almost feel-good dance song. Currently, the music industry seems to be flooded with the same genre on the radio with no obvious uniqueness. For The Chainsmokers, however, we’ve seen what they’re capable of producing within a world often dominated by a single genre, and “Smooth” is no exception to that success.

Their 2017 Billboard Hot 100 award-winning song, “Closer,” is arguably one of the best of the past decade, and their newest release seems to follow the same vein. As we progress through 2025, a year full of “recession indicators” such as the rise of the Tumblr aesthetic from the early 2010s, both old and new listeners can naturally indulge in the fruits of an EDM-pop revival. While an album has yet to be announced, “Smooth” is a promising look at what’s to come from The Chainsmokers — they’re certainly as smooth today as they used to be.

—Staff writer Emily G. Fallas-Chacon can be reached at emily.fallas-chacon@thecrimson.com.