Smith, a Grammy-award winner, teamed up with Petras, a German pop artist who achieved acclaim after her debut single “I Don’t Want It At All” topped several viral musical charts on Spotify in 2017.
Released on Thursday, the song’s lyrics weave a narrative about infidelity and an illicit fair, with Petras seemingly playing the part of the “other woman.” For Smith, the song marks a departure from their typically emotive, soulful lyrics — and features some of Petras’s irreverent tone, complete with references to Fendi and Balenciaga.
“Unholy” is one of several songs that have achieved viral fame on TikTok — some even before the songs have actually been released. The platform’s format makes it easy for viewers to hear a song’s catchy beat over and over.
Petras and Smith first teased the track in August, posting a TikTok in which they dance alongside Petras to the lyrics. “I hear them whisperin’ ’bout the places that you’ve been,” sings Smith. “And how you don’t know how to keep your business clean.”
“Mummy don’t know daddy’s getting hot,” they continue. “At the body shop / Doing something unholy.”
The video received over 29 million views and hundreds of thousands of users quickly created “Unholy” videos of their own. The clip has soundtracked everything from recipe videos to makeup tutorials to dance videos.
