Being one of the most in-demand entertainers, Sam Smith has undergone dramatic transformations over the year in both their music and mind.
Sam Smith is known to the audience as a famous singer and songwrite. Considered one of the most outstanding artists in the UK, the singer is widely admired by fans and often draws comparisons to Adele thanks to their powerful, long-lasting vocals.
Although it has been more than ten years since officially entering the entertainment industry, Sam Smith's reputation has not shown any sign of cooling down. Nowadays, the nonbinary singer, who uses they/them pronouns, remains one of the most sought-after singers.
Sam Smith's rise to global fame
In 2012, Sam Smith collaborated with Disclosure, an English electronic music duo, to release the song Latch, which Smith single-handedly composed. As soon as it was released, Latch was quickly loved by audiences around the world and became the go-to song at exciting music parties.
Taking advantage of the first hit in their career, Sam continued to return to the music scene through the debut single Lay Me Down. Not beyond fans' expectations, the melancholic song immediately occupied the 46th position in the UK music chart, helping Smith hit the big time in Hollywood.
Following the success of Lay Me Down, Sam Smith continued to release a debut studio album titled In The Lonely Hour. The album became such a critical and commercial worldwide hit that it was the launch pad to catapult Sam Smith's name to stardom, alongside top vocalists like Adele or James Arthur.
Some of Sam's ballad hits include I'm Not the Only One, Stay With Me, Too Good at Goodbyes, and Writing's on the Wall (James Bond soundtrack). Over the years, Sam has won four Grammy Awards, three BRIT Awards, three Billboard Awards, and won the soundtrack category at the Golden Globe and Oscar.
Dramatic transformation in music and mind
There was a time when the public thought that Sam Smith was too monotonous in their music products. Faced with intensive media scrutiny and social stereotypes, the Too Good at Goodbyes star said they once struggled with being in the spotlight.
Smith told Billboard in 2017:
'After the Oscars, I started going out too much, not respecting myself, drinking loads and smoking. I wasn't looking after myself; I was going into a bit of a spiral. I'd lost contact with friends, with family. It wasn't good.'
Not giving up to pressure, Smith decided to take a new approach to his music. In 2019, they released their studio album called Love Goes with a completely different style. Unlike the previous portraits of a romantic, gloomy boy in ballad songs, Sam switched to a more rebellious and confident imagery.
This dramatic transformation has been depicted in his new Dance and Tropical House songs, such as Unholy, How Do You Sleep, and I'm Not Here To Make Friends. Smith has also rocked the stages with burning moves, instead of standing still with the micro in the past.
And as his music underwent a complete transformation, so did Smith's mindset. Initially succumbing to public expectations of a male idol, the British singer gradually fought to express their own beauty. They told Grazia in 2019:
'When I was 25, I came off tour exhausted. I looked to role models in the body world. Every time I went to the pool I felt self-conscious, but I forced myself to take my top off.'
In 2019 Smith was praised by fans after sharing a topless beach picture and admitting they'd finally learned to accept themselves and became confident.
Read more:
⋙ Adele says she’s ‘taking a break from music’ to pursue English Literature degree
⋙ Singer Rihanna becomes America's youngest self-made billionaire
