La La La (feat. Naughty Boy)

Sam Smith's 'La La La', in collaboration with Naughty Boy, is a song that delves into the theme of emotional self-preservation in the face of toxic communication. The lyrics describe a scenario where the speaker feels overwhelmed by someone else's negative and possibly manipulative words, which are likened to 'venom'. The repeated reference to 'your new messiah' and 'theories [that] catch fire' suggests that the speaker is being subjected to dogmatic or fanatical opinions that they find exhausting and unconvincing.

The chorus of the song uses the childlike phrase 'la la la' as a metaphor for the speaker's deliberate choice to ignore and block out what they perceive as harmful speech. This act of turning up the volume or covering their ears like a kid symbolizes a refusal to engage with the negativity, instead choosing to protect their mental well-being. The repetition of 'la la la' throughout the song emphasizes the strength of the speaker's resolve to maintain this emotional barrier.

The song also touches on the theme of a failing relationship, where communication has broken down to the point of no return ('Yes our love is running out of time'). The speaker decides not to 'count the hours' but to be a 'coward' in the sense of avoiding further confrontation. This choice to 'drown you out before I lose my mind' indicates a last resort to preserve one's sanity in a situation where dialogue has become destructive rather than constructive.