About I'm Not the Only One

"I'm Not the Only One" is a song recorded by English singer Sam Smith from their debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour (2014). It was written by Smith with Jimmy Napes, who also produced the song along with Steve Fitzmaurice. Capitol Records released it to digital download on 31 August 2014 as the album's third single in the United Kingdom and on 24 September 2014 as the album's second single in the United States; an alternative version with American rapper A$AP Rocky was also released. A piano soul ballad, anchored by orchestral strings and a gospel structure, "I'm Not the Only One" deals with themes of infidelity in a relationship and was inspired by a marriage of someone Smith and Napes knew. It received a positive response from critics, who praised their emotional vocals and its instrumentation. Commercially, the song was another success for Smith, becoming a top-three hit in the United Kingdom, a top-five hit in the United States, and a top-ten hit in over ten countries. A music video featuring actors Dianna Agron and Chris Messina was released on 1 August 2014 and it features content similar to the song's lyrics.

After the success of previous singles, "Money on My Mind" and "Stay with Me" on the UK Singles Chart - with both becoming number-one singles, while the latter a worldwide hit - Smith announced that "I'm Not the Only One" was going to be the album's third single and that it would be released on 31 August 2014 to digital download in the United Kingdom. They chose the song to be released as a single since it was one of the songs that both they and their fans loved. They commented: "I just wanted to bring out a song that is classic and that had longevity to it. If you listen to the record, there's a few songs on there I actually think would be safer bets to go in terms of radio, but I wanted to make a statement. I also want people to know that I'm not just doing it to have big radio hits. I want people to buy into the album and I feel like 'I'm Not the Only One' is an album-seller." On 10 September 2014, a remix version of the song featuring American rapper A$AP Rocky was released worldwide through online music stores. Smith recalled that Zane Lowe called them and left a voice mail on their phone telling them the song was a hip-hop track and that he needed a rapper on it, and inspired them to get a rapper and show a different side of the music. The song was released as the second single in the United States, being serviced first to adult alternative radio on 24 September 2014and later on 1 October 2014 to hot adult contemporary and contemporary hit radio. In Brazil, the song was part of the international soundtrack to the telenovela Babilônia (2015).