Sam Smith (singer) on:  
[Wikipedia]  
[Google]  
[Amazon]
Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. After rising to prominence in October 2012 by featuring on
Disclosure's breakthrough single "
Latch
A latch or catch (called sneck in Northern England and Scotland) is a type of mechanical fastener that joins two (or more) objects or surfaces while allowing for their regular separation. A latch typically engages another piece of hardware on t ...
", which peaked at number eleven on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
, they were subsequently featured on
Naughty Boy
Shahid Khan ( ur, شاهد خان; born 1 January 1981), better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three–year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a rec ...
's "
La La La", which became a number one single in May 2013. In December 2013, Smith was nominated for the
2014 Brit Critics' Choice Award and the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
's
Sound of 2014 poll, winning both.
Smith's debut studio album, ''
In the Lonely Hour
''In the Lonely Hour'' is the debut album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol ...
'', was released in May 2014 on
Capitol Records UK
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
.
The album's lead single, "
Lay Me Down", was released prior to "La La La". The album's second single, "
Money on My Mind
"Money on My Mind" is a song by English singer Sam Smith, and the second single from their debut studio album, ''In the Lonely Hour'' (2014). The song was released in Italy on 27 December 2013. It was later released in the UK on 12 February 201 ...
", became their second number one single in the UK.
The third single, "
Stay with Me", was internationally successful, reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100, while subsequent singles "
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 Recor ...
" and "
Like I Can
"Like I Can" is a song by English singer Sam Smith. It was released as a digital download on 5 December 2014 as the fifth single from their debut studio album, ''In the Lonely Hour'' (2014). The song was written by Smith and Matt Prime and prod ...
" reached the top ten in the UK. The album won four awards, at the
57th Annual Grammy Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
, including
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
,
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
,
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
,
Song of the Year, and nominations for
Album of the Year and
Best Pop Solo Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance is an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards. According to the 54th Grammy Awards description guides, the Best Pop So ...
.
For Smith's and
Jimmy Napes
James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Award ...
's song "
Writing's on the Wall", the theme for the
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film ''
Spectre
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
'' (2015), they won the
Golden Globe Award
The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
and the
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is presented to the ''songwriters'' who have composed th ...
. Smith's second studio album, ''
The Thrill of It All'', was released in November 2017 and debuted atop the UK and US album charts. The lead single, "
Too Good at Goodbyes
"Too Good at Goodbyes" is a song by English singer Sam Smith. It was written by James Napier, Tor Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Smith, and produced by Napes, Steve Fitzmaurice and StarGate. It was released on 8 September 2017 through Capitol R ...
", reached number one in the UK and Australia and number four in the US. Following the 2018 single "
Promises" with
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
, which peaked at number one in the UK, Smith released "
Dancing with a Stranger
"Dancing with a Stranger" is a song by British singer Sam Smith and American singer Normani. It was written by Smith, Normani, Jimmy Napes, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Napes. "Dancing with a Stranger" was rel ...
" with
Normani
Normani Kordei Hamilton ( ; born May 31, 1996) is an American singer and dancer. She auditioned as a solo act for the American television series ''The X Factor'' in 2012, after which she became a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which wen ...
in 2019, which reached the top ten in the UK and the US and was nominated for
Song of the Year at the
2020 Brit Awards; and later "
How Do You Sleep?", all of which feature on their third album, ''
Love Goes'' (2020). In 2022, Smith's single "
Unholy
''Profanum'' is the Latin word for "profane". The state of being profane, or "profanity," refers to a lack of respect for things that are held to be sacred, which implies anything inspiring or deserving of reverence, as well as behaviour show ...
" with
Kim Petras
Kim Petras (born 27 August 1992) is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republ ...
, from Smith's forthcoming fourth album ''
Gloria'' (2023), became their first number one single in the US.
Smith's achievements include four
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...
s, three
Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
, three
''Billboard'' Music Awards, and an
American Music Award
The American Music Awards (AMAs) is an annual American music awards show, generally held in the fall, created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC when the network's contract to air the Grammy Awards expired, and currently produced by Dick Clark Produ ...
, as well as a
Golden Globe and an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
.
Early life
Samuel Frederick Smith was born in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
on 19 May 1992,
to Frederick Smith and broker Kate Cassidy,
They grew up in
Great Chishill, where they attended Thomas More Primary School. They were bullied for having
gynecomastia
Gynecomastia (also spelled gynaecomastia) is the abnormal non-cancerous enlargement of one or both breasts in males due to the growth of breast tissue as a result of a hormone imbalance between estrogens and androgens. Updated by Brent Wisse ( ...
as a child and underwent
liposuction at age 12.
As part of
Youth Music Theatre UK
British Youth Music Theatre (BYMT), formerly Youth Music Theatre UK, is a UK-based national performing arts organisation founded in December 2003. BYMT provides music theatre training to young people aged 11–21 and a stepping stone to drama ...
, Smith appeared in the troupe's 2007 production of ''Oh! Carol'', a musical featuring the music of
Neil Sedaka
Neil Sedaka (; born March 13, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. Since his music career began in 1957, he has sold millions of records worldwide and has written or co-written over 500 songs for himself and other artists, collabo ...
. Before entering the musical theatre, they had been in jazz bands.
While studying singing and songwriting under jazz pianist
Joanna Eden
Joanna Eden is an English jazz singer, songwriter and pianist.
Biography
Eden was born in Lincolnshire into a musical family, the daughter of an RAF bass player, John, and a drama teacher, Diana. She started learning the piano at six and perfor ...
for a number of years,
Smith attended
St Mary's Catholic School in
Bishop's Stortford
Bishop's Stortford is a historic market town in Hertfordshire, England, just west of the M11 motorway on the county boundary with Essex, north-east of central London, and by rail from Liverpool Street station. Stortford had an estimated po ...
and was a member of the Bishop's Stortford Junior Operatics (now Bishops Stortford Musical Theatre Society) and the Cantate Youth Choir.
Music career
2008–2009: Career beginnings with debut singles
Smith released two singles before 2010, "
Bad Day All Week" from 2008 and "
When It's Alright
"When It's Alright" is a song by English singer Sam Smith, released as their second single on 2 April 2009.
Background
In February 2009, Venus & Mars Music released promotional singles of "When It's Alright" in the United Kingdom. While it was a ...
" from 2009.
2012–2013: Breakthrough
Smith was featured on the
Disclosure
Disclosure may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Disclosure'' (The Gathering album), 2012
*Disclosure (band), a UK-based garage/electronic duo
* ''Disclosure'' (novel), 1994 novel written by Michael Crichton
** ''Disclosure'' (1994 film), an American ...
song "
Latch
A latch or catch (called sneck in Northern England and Scotland) is a type of mechanical fastener that joins two (or more) objects or surfaces while allowing for their regular separation. A latch typically engages another piece of hardware on t ...
", which was released on 8 October 2012 and peaked at No. 11 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. In February 2013, Smith released the first single from their debut album, "
Lay Me Down", and later in the year featured on
Naughty Boy
Shahid Khan ( ur, شاهد خان; born 1 January 1981), better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three–year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a rec ...
's single "
La La La". It was released on 19 May 2013 and peaked at No. 1 on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
. Smith's first EP ''
Nirvana
( , , ; sa, निर्वाण} ''nirvāṇa'' ; Pali: ''nibbāna''; Prakrit: ''ṇivvāṇa''; literally, "blown out", as in an oil lampRichard Gombrich, ''Theravada Buddhism: A Social History from Ancient Benāres to Modern Colombo.' ...
'' was released the following year. The first song on the EP, titled "
Safe with Me
"Safe with Me" is a song by British singer Sam Smith, from their debut EP ''Nirvana'' (2013). It peaked at number 86 on the UK Singles Chart. The song was written by Sam Smith and Two Inch Punch, the latter also producing the song.
Track listin ...
", is produced by Two Inch Punch and was first broadcast on
MistaJam
Peter Dalton (born 19 January 1983), known professionally as MistaJam, is a British DJ and radio presenter. He is known for presenting radio shows on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra from 2005 to 2020; since 2020 he has presented on Capital and C ...
's
BBC Radio 1Xtra
BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts black music and urban music, including hip hop and R&B and is a sister station to Radio 1. Launching at 18:00 on 16 August 2002, it had been cod ...
show on 24 July 2013. The second song on the EP is titled "Nirvana" and is produced by Craze & Hoax and Jonathan Creek. The EP also includes Smith's acoustic solo version of "Latch" and a live version of "I've Told You Now". Smith released the Disclosure,
Nile Rodgers
Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
, and
Jimmy Napes
James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Award ...
collaboration "Together" on 25 November 2013 as the only single from ''
Settle: The Remixes''.
2014–2016: ''In the Lonely Hour'' and international success
![Sam Smith 2 (15425586230)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Sam_Smith_2_%2815425586230%29.jpg)
The second single from Smith's debut album, titled "
Money on My Mind
"Money on My Mind" is a song by English singer Sam Smith, and the second single from their debut studio album, ''In the Lonely Hour'' (2014). The song was released in Italy on 27 December 2013. It was later released in the UK on 12 February 201 ...
", was released on 16 February 2014. It was announced on 16 December that Smith's debut studio album, titled ''
In the Lonely Hour
''In the Lonely Hour'' is the debut album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol ...
'', would be released on 26 May 2014 through
Capitol Records
Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007) is an American record label distributed by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-based record label of note ...
.
Smith described the album as "all about unrequited love" stemming from personal experience, having never been loved back by any previous love interests.
The album reached number one in the
UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
and number two on the
''Billboard'' 200, and by 5 November it had become the second biggest selling album of 2014 in the US behind only ''
1989'' by
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
. In January 2015, ''In the Lonely Hour'' was named the second best selling album of 2014 in the UK, behind ''
x'' by
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
. A live version of album track "I've Told You Now", performed at
St Pancras Old Church
St Pancras Old Church is a Church of England parish church in Somers Town, Central London. It is dedicated to the Roman martyr Saint Pancras, and is believed by many to be one of the oldest sites of Christian worship in England. The church i ...
, was made available as a free download as part of an
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential economi ...
promotion on 27 December 2013. The album track "Make It To Me", co-written by Howard of Disclosure and Jimmy Napes, was made available as a free download as part of an
iTunes Store
The iTunes Store is a digital media store operated by Apple Inc. It opened on April 28, 2003, as a result of Steve Jobs' push to open a digital marketplace for music. As of April 2020, iTunes offered 60 million songs, 2.2 million apps, 25,00 ...
promotion on 13 January 2014. Smith went on their debut American headlining tour in the second quarter of 2014, with a setlist of primarily new material.
On 20 January 2014, Smith made their American television debut performing "Latch" with Disclosure on ''
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
''Late Night with Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by comedian Jimmy Fallon.[ About pag ...](_blank)
''. Smith also performed on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' on 29 March 2014, performing the
gospel
Gospel originally meant the Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words an ...
-tinged "
Stay with Me" and an acoustic version of "Lay Me Down".
"Stay with Me" reached number one on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and number two on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100.
["Sam Smith Album & Single Chart History"](_blank)
Billboard. Retrieved 5 December 2014. The fourth single from the album, "
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 Recor ...
", reached number three in the UK and number five in the US.
In June 2014, Smith first appeared on the cover of ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'' in its 92nd issue.
In August 2014, their single "Stay with Me" was named Variance Magazine's Song of Summer. Smith performed "Stay With Me" live at the
2014 MTV Video Music Awards on 24 August at
The Forum in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
. On 15 November 2014, they joined the charity group
Band Aid 30
Band Aid 30 is the 2014 incarnation of the charity supergroup Band Aid. The group was announced on 10 November 2014 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, with Geldof stating that he took the step after the United Nations had contacted him, saying help w ...
along with other British and Irish pop acts, recording the latest version of the track "
Do They Know It's Christmas?
"Do They Know It's Christmas?" is a charity song written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia. It was first recorded by Band Aid, a supergroup assembled by Geldof and Ure consisting of pop ...
" at
Sarm West Studios
Sarm Studios is an independent recording studio in London. Originally founded in east London in 1973, the studio's original location was renamed Sarm East Studios in 1982 when Jill Sinclair and Trevor Horn purchased Basing Street Studios from Isl ...
in
Notting Hill
Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a cosmopolitan and multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting Hill Carnival and Portobello Road M ...
, London, to raise money for the
2014 Ebola crisis in
Western Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Mali, Maurita ...
.
![Sam_Smith_Lollapalooza_2015-3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/eb/Sam_Smith_Lollapalooza_2015-3.jpg)
In 2015, it came to light that singer
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American musician who was the lead vocalist and guitarist of the rock band Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, formed in 1976. He previously led the band Mudcrutch, was a member of the lat ...
, noting similarities between "Stay with Me" and his 1989 hit song "
I Won't Back Down
"I Won't Back Down" is a song by American rock musician Tom Petty. It was released in April 1989 as the lead single from his first solo album, ''Full Moon Fever''. The song was co-written by Petty and Jeff Lynne, also his writing partner for the ...
", had negotiated an out-of-court settlement with Smith in October 2014. Petty and co-composer
Jeff Lynne
Jeffrey Lynne (born 30 December 1947) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the co-founder of the rock band Electric Light Orchestra (ELO), which was formed in 1970. As a songwriter, he has cont ...
were awarded 12.5 percent of the royalties from "Stay with Me", and the names of Petty and Lynne joined James John Napier (known professionally as
Jimmy Napes
James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Award ...
) in the
ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP) () is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that collectively licenses the public performance rights of its members' musical works to venues, broadca ...
song credit. At the
57th Annual Grammy Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
, held on 8 February 2015, at the
Staples Center in Los Angeles, Smith performed "Stay with Me" and also received four Grammy Awards:
Best New Artist
The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...
,
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
and
Song of the Year (for "Stay with Me") and
Best Pop Vocal Album
The Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Album is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality vocal pop music albums. Awards in several ...
(for ''In the Lonely Hour''). At the
2015 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2015 was held on 25 February 2015. This was the 35th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London, presented by Ant & Dec. This was their second time ...
held at
The O2 Arena
The O2 Arena, commonly known as the O2 (stylised as The O2 arena), is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the centre of the O2 entertainment complex on the Greenwich Peninsula in southeast London. It opened in its present form in 2007. It has the s ...
in London on 25 February, they performed "Lay Me Down", and won the Brit Awards for
British Breakthrough Act, and Global Success.
In March 2015, "Lay Me Down" was re-released as the sixth single from the album, peaking at number 8 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 (Smith's third US top 10 single). The same month, Smith recorded another version of the song, featuring
John Legend
John Roger Stephens (born December 28, 1978), known professionally as John Legend, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and record producer. He began his musical career by working behind the scenes, playing piano on Lauryn Hill's " Ever ...
, for the British charity telethon
Comic Relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
, which reached number one in the UK. At the
2015 Billboard Music Awards
The 2015 ''Billboard'' Music Awards ceremony was held on May 17, 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It was aired live on ABC. The show was hosted by Ludacris and Chrissy Teigen.
Taylor Swift won 8 out of her 14 nominations, inclu ...
on 17 May, Smith received three Billboard Awards: Top Male Artist, Top New Artist, and Top Radio Songs Artist.
They featured on
Disclosure
Disclosure may refer to:
Arts and media
* ''Disclosure'' (The Gathering album), 2012
*Disclosure (band), a UK-based garage/electronic duo
* ''Disclosure'' (novel), 1994 novel written by Michael Crichton
** ''Disclosure'' (1994 film), an American ...
's single "
Omen", which was released on 27 July 2015.
On 8 September 2015, Smith and Jimmy Napes confirmed that they had composed "
Writing's on the Wall", the theme song to ''
Spectre
Spectre, specter or the spectre may refer to:
Religion and spirituality
* Vision (spirituality)
* Apparitional experience
* Ghost
Arts and entertainment Film and television
* ''Spectre'' (1977 film), a made-for-television film produced and writ ...
'', the 24th
James Bond
The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
film. The song was released on 25 September 2015 and became the first James Bond theme to reach number one in the UK.
On 19 October, Smith was presented with two ''
Guinness World Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''—one for recording the first
James Bond theme song to go to number one in the UK and another for scoring the most consecutive weeks in the UK top 10 by a debut album, for ''In the Lonely Hour''.
At the
73rd Golden Globe Awards
The 73rd Golden Globe Awards honored the best in film and American television of 2015. It was broadcast live on January 10, 2016, from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST by NBC. ...
on 10 January 2016, they received the
Award for Best Original Song for "Writing's on the Wall". On 14 January, the song earned Smith an
Academy Award
The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...
nomination for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
. In the nominations for the
2016 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2016 was held on 24 February 2016 and was the 36th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The awards ceremony was held at The O2 Arena in London and were presented by Ant & Dec. Award nominations wer ...
announced on 14 January, the song was among the nominees for Best British Video. Smith performed "Writing's on the Wall" at the Academy Awards on 28 February and, along with Napes, collected the prize for Best Original Song. In their acceptance speech, Smith referenced an article by
Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
published before the awards ceremony that claimed no openly gay man had won an Oscar for Best Actor; Smith misquoted McKellen as saying that no gay man in general had won an Oscar. This was quickly discredited by openly gay recipient
Dustin Lance Black
Dustin Lance Black (born June 10, 1974) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, and LGBT rights activist. He is known for writing the film ''Milk'', for which he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay in 2009. He has also sub ...
, but McKellen mentioned that the error "doesn't detract" from Smith's achievement.
2016–2018: ''The Thrill of It All''
![Sam Smith Xcel Energy Center 8-24-2018 - 0001 129](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Sam_Smith_Xcel_Energy_Center_8-24-2018_-_0001_129.jpg)
Throughout 2016, Smith released footage of themself in the studio working on new music, leading up to the release of their second studio album. In late 2016, Smith was said to be working with
Adam Lambert
Adam Mitchel Lambert (born January 29, 1982) is an American singer and songwriter. Since 2009, he has sold over 3 million albums and 5 million singles worldwide. Lambert is known for his dynamic vocal performances that fuse his theatrical tra ...
on new material. In early 2017, it was reported that Smith would be releasing their second album in September 2017 and had recorded with constant collaborator
Jimmy Napes
James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Award ...
and
Naughty Boy
Shahid Khan ( ur, شاهد خان; born 1 January 1981), better known by his stage name Naughty Boy, is a British DJ, record producer, songwriter and musician. In 2012, Khan signed a three–year publishing deal with Sony ATV, as well as a rec ...
. In April 2017, Smith was said to have been in studio sessions with
classical crossover
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers who appeal to different types of audience. This can be seen, for example, (especially in the United States) when a song appears on two or more of the record charts which track differ ...
group
Clean Bandit
Clean Bandit are an English electronic music group, formed in Cambridge in 2008. They have had four number 1 hits and ten top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart. They direct and produce their own music videos, many of which have been nominated for ...
, working on a possible "comeback single". Along with Clean Bandit, record producer
Timbaland
Timothy Zachery Mosley (born March 10, 1972), known professionally as Timbaland, is an American record producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. He has received widespread acclaim for his innovative production work and distinc ...
and musician
Frances
Frances is a French and English given name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'free one.' The male version of the name in English is Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "Frenchman", comes from the F ...
said they had worked on songs for Smith's next album.
On 8 September 2017, Smith released a new single titled "
Too Good at Goodbyes
"Too Good at Goodbyes" is a song by English singer Sam Smith. It was written by James Napier, Tor Hermansen, Mikkel Eriksen and Smith, and produced by Napes, Steve Fitzmaurice and StarGate. It was released on 8 September 2017 through Capitol R ...
", which debuted at number one in the United Kingdom and number five on the US Billboard Hot 100. Their second studio album, ''
The Thrill of It All'', debuted atop the UK Albums Chart and the US
''Billboard'' 200, becoming their first number one album in the US. On 20 March 2018, Smith started The Thrill of It All Tour, which visited Europe, North America, Asia, New Zealand and Australia. On 27 March 2018, they released "
Pray
Prayer is an invocation or act that seeks to activate a rapport with an object of worship through deliberate communication. In the narrow sense, the term refers to an act of supplication or intercession directed towards a deity or a deified a ...
" featuring American rapper
Logic
Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the science of deductively valid inferences or of logical truths. It is a formal science investigating how conclusions follow from premises ...
. On 17 August 2018, the singer collaborated as the main vocalist on
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
's new track "
Promises". The song became Smith's seventh number one hit on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and their first top song on ''Billboards
Dance/Mix Show Airplay
Dance/Mix Show Airplay (formerly Hot Dance Airplay) is a monitored electronic dance music radio chart that is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine.
History
The chart came about as a result of the small but influential impact of electronic ...
chart. They also released the song "
Fire on Fire
"Fire on Fire" is a song by English singer Sam Smith, produced by Steve Mac. It was co-written by Smith and Mac for the 2018 Netflix adaptation of the 1972 novel ''Watership Down''. "Fire on Fire" was released as a single on 21 December 2018 th ...
" as the ''
Watership Down
''Watership Down'' is an adventure novel by English author Richard Adams, published by Rex Collings Ltd of London in 1972. Set in Berkshire in southern England, the story features a small group of rabbits. Although they live in their natura ...
'' soundtrack.
2019–present: ''Love Goes'' and ''Gloria''
In January 2019, Smith released the song "
Dancing with a Stranger
"Dancing with a Stranger" is a song by British singer Sam Smith and American singer Normani. It was written by Smith, Normani, Jimmy Napes, Mikkel S. Eriksen, Tor Hermansen, and produced by Stargate and Napes. "Dancing with a Stranger" was rel ...
" with
Normani
Normani Kordei Hamilton ( ; born May 31, 1996) is an American singer and dancer. She auditioned as a solo act for the American television series ''The X Factor'' in 2012, after which she became a member of the girl group Fifth Harmony, which wen ...
as a single and it reached the top ten in the UK, the US and other countries. In February, Smith performed a medley of songs alongside
Calvin Harris
Adam Richard Wiles (born 17 January 1984), known professionally as Calvin Harris, is a Scottish DJ, record producer, singer, and songwriter who has released six studio albums.
His debut studio album, ''I Created Disco'', was released in June ...
,
Rag'n'Bone Man
Rory Charles Graham (born 29 January 1985), better known as Rag'n'Bone Man, is an English singer and songwriter. He is known for his deep baritone voice. His first hit single, "Human", was released in 2016, and his debut album of the same nam ...
and
Dua Lipa
Dua Lipa ( , ; born ) is an English and Albanian singer and songwriter. Possessing a mezzo-soprano vocal range, she is known for her signature disco- pop sound. Lipa has received numerous accolades, including six Brit Awards, three Gramm ...
at the
2019 Brit Awards held at
the O2 Arena in London. On 6 July 2019,
New 102.7
WNEW-FM (102.7 FM, ''NEW 102.7'') is a hot adult contemporary formatted radio station, licensed to New York, New York and owned by Audacy, Inc. The station's studios are located at the Audacy facility in the Hudson Square neighborhood of Manh ...
radio host Mike Adam announced the song "
How Do You Sleep?" on their Twitter account.
On 9 July 2019, Smith posted on social media that an announcement would be made the following day. The pre-order link became active on 10 July, and later the same day, they formally announced and shared a clip of the song.
In October 2019, in an interview with ''The Zach Sang Show'', Smith expressed excitement about their upcoming record. The singer also confirmed that their newest offering will feature fewer ballads and plenty of poppier tracks in the vein of their recent two previous singles. "I feel like I have recently shown a side of me which I normally keep to myself or for my family and friends," Smith told Sang. "I showed everyone it and everyone loved it. It's almost given me permission to kinda do what I've always dreamed of doing but I was always scared to do, which is pop music." The singer also described having been spurred on to write new music following a 2018 collaboration with Calvin Harris, "Promises". "I just naturally started getting back into the studio and started to write," they said. "I caught this wind and started riding this wave and I haven't stopped writing since."
On 13 February 2020, Smith revealed that a third studio album, then titled ''To Die For'', was scheduled to be released on 1 May. On 30 March, Smith announced that, due to the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, they would be delaying the release of their third album and would include a number of changes to the album track list and the title, as they would continue to work on it. However, they did state that it would still be released sometime within 2020.
"I'm Ready (Sam Smith and Demi Lovato song), I'm Ready", a collaboration with American singer Demi Lovato was released on 16 April and charted well in the top 40 of several countries. On 6 July, Smith released their cover of Coldplay's "Fix You". They had originally performed the song earlier in May for the iHeartRadio Living Room Series.
On 17 September, they released a new single, "Diamonds (Sam Smith song), Diamonds", and then announced the new title for their third album, ''
Love Goes'', which was released on 30 October. On 29 September they announced that they would be performing a livestream concert on 30 October from Abbey Road Studios in London, their only live performance of 2020. The concert featured guest appearances by British actress Jade Anouka on "My Oasis" and singer Labrinth on "Love Goes", and included a cover version of "Time After Time (Cyndi Lauper song), Time After Time", which drew praise from the song's original singer and writer Cyndi Lauper. The concert was recorded and released as a live album, ''Love Goes: Live at Abbey Road Studios'', on 19 March 2021. The same year, Smith recorded a cover of "You Will Be Found", in collaboration with Summer Walker, for the soundtrack album of the Dear Evan Hansen (film), 2021 film adaptation of ''Dear Evan Hansen''. Their version of the song also plays during the closing credits of the film itself.
On 25 August 2022, Smith announced that they had collaborated with German singer
Kim Petras
Kim Petras (born 27 August 1992) is a German singer and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. Between 2016 and 2020, she released music as an independent artist under her own imprint, BunHead Records, before signing with Amigo and Republ ...
on a song titled "
Unholy
''Profanum'' is the Latin word for "profane". The state of being profane, or "profanity," refers to a lack of respect for things that are held to be sacred, which implies anything inspiring or deserving of reverence, as well as behaviour show ...
", with Petras calling it "the best song" she has been part of. The first single from Smith’s fourth studio album ''
Gloria'', it reached number one in the UK, the US (Smith’s first US chart topper), Australia and other markets.
On 18 November, Smith released the single "Night Before Christmas", which will be added to their EP ''The Holly & the Ivy''.
Artistry
Influences
Smith cited Adele and Amy Winehouse as primary influences.
["This Week's Fresh Music" (17 May 2014). 4Music. Retrieved 28 July 2015] They admire Adele's "honesty in her music" and the way she has handled fame; they expressed a wish to maintain a similar public image.
Winehouse's debut album ''Frank (Amy Winehouse album), Frank'' was the first album Smith ever bought.
Early in their career, Smith received advice from Mary J. Blige and Chaka Khan, both of whom they listened to during their youth; Smith said that this inspired them to offer help to new artists themself.
They called
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift (born December 13, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter. Her discography spans multiple genres, and her vivid songwriting—often inspired by her personal life—has received critical praise and wide media coverage. Bor ...
a "role model" and praised her "soulfulness" as well as her "honesty".
Smith stated that the story of Lady Gaga's career beginnings encouraged them to move to London in order to start their own career.
They also credited her with helping them come out as non-binary. Smith described Robyn as a major influence on ''Love Goes'' and said that they listened to her "nonstop" while making the album because they "could dance and be sad at the same time and feel empowered".
They further cited Beyoncé and Christina Aguilera as sources of inspiration and empowerment.
Speaking to ''Rolling Stone'' in January 2016, Smith named Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey as the greatest Rhythm and blues, R&B voices. Smith's other influences include Britney Spears and Brandy Norwood, Brandy.
In an October 2017 interview for ''Attitude (magazine), Attitude'' magazine, Smith spoke of the impact of their close friend
Ed Sheeran
Edward Christopher Sheeran (; born 17 February 1991) is an English singer-songwriter. Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire and raised in Framlingham, Suffolk, he began writing songs around the age of eleven. In early 2011, Sheeran independently r ...
's success: "It makes you push yourself. Watching him this past year has just been incredible, but yeah, of course it makes me hungry." They had previously mentioned to ''GQ'' in January 2015 that they "envy the competition that people like Frank Sinatra, [Frank] Sinatra would have [...] because you could tell he was working off them".
Vocal style
A VH1 profile of Smith's vocal coach
Joanna Eden
Joanna Eden is an English jazz singer, songwriter and pianist.
Biography
Eden was born in Lincolnshire into a musical family, the daughter of an RAF bass player, John, and a drama teacher, Diana. She started learning the piano at six and perfor ...
noted that their vocal range "can soar from baritone to tenor for dramatic effect". Smith places a lot of emphasis on their voice and stated they tried to make it the main element of their debut album ''In the Lonely Hour''.
Following the release of the album, their vocals were often compared to those of Adele. Jessica Robertson of ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'' considers that Smith represents "a return of the virtuosic vocalist in popular music", in the vein of Whitney Houston and Luther Vandross.
Jim Farber wrote for ''The New York Daily News'' that Smith is "utterly unafraid to sound feminine"; Mary J. Blige thought that Smith was a black woman when she first heard them sing on Disclosure's "Latch".
Asked about the "diva quality" of their voice, Smith remarked in January 2014:
Personal life
In May 2014, Smith Coming out, came out to the public as gay and acknowledged a relationship—since ended—with actor and model Jonathan Zeizel.
At the
57th Annual Grammy Awards
The 57th Annual Grammy Awards were held on February 8, 2015, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The show was broadcast live by CBS at 5:00 p.m. PST ( UTC−8). Rapper LL Cool J hosted the show for the fourth consecutive time ...
when "
Stay with Me" won an award for
Record of the Year
The Grammy Award for Record of the Year is presented by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to "honor artistic achievement, technical proficiency and overall excellence in the recording industry, without reg ...
, they said, "I want to thank the man who this record is about, who I fell in love with last year. Thank you so much for breaking my heart because you got me four Grammys!" In October 2017, Smith stated that their latest album, ''
The Thrill of It All'', showed "the gay guy I've become".
In September 2017, Smith revealed a relationship with actor Brandon Flynn in an interview on ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show''. In June 2018, it was announced that Smith and Flynn had split after nine months of dating.
In October 2017, Smith came out as genderqueer,
saying, "I feel just as much a woman as I am a man"
and speaking of a period in their youth where they "didn't own a piece of male clothing and would wear full makeup while attending school".
In September 2019, they announced a decision to come out as Non-binary gender, non-binary and change their gender pronouns to Singular they, they/them, stating, "After a lifetime of being at war with my gender I've decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out..."
Smith is the godparent of close friend and collaborator
Jimmy Napes
James Napier (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Jimmy Napes, is an English songwriter and record producer. He has won a number of awards, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, 3 Grammy Awards, and 2 Ivor Novello Award ...
's son.
They identify as a feminist.
They have struggled with body image issues since their Preadolescence, preteen years and have been open about this in interviews.
Discography
*''
In the Lonely Hour
''In the Lonely Hour'' is the debut album by English singer and songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on 26 May 2014 via Capitol UK and Method Records. In the United States, it was released on 17 June 2014 through Capitol ...
'' (2014)
*''
The Thrill of It All'' (2017)
*''
Love Goes'' (2020)
*''
Gloria'' (2023)
Tours
*In the Lonely Hour Tour (2015)
*The Thrill of It All Tour (2018)
Filmography
Awards and nominations
See also
* List of highest-certified music artists in the United States
*List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Chart
*List of best-selling singles in the United States
Notes
References
External links
*
Profile samsmithsinger.com; accessed 14 February 2015.
Smith profile MTV.com; accessed 14 February 2015.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Sam
Sam Smith (singer),
1992 births
Living people
Brit Award winners
English tenors
English songwriters
English pop singers
English soul singers
English feminists
Feminist musicians
Gay feminists
English gay musicians
Genderqueer people
LGBT feminists
LGBT singers from the United Kingdom
LGBT songwriters
Capitol Records artists
Singers from London
Golden Globe Award-winning musicians
Grammy Award winners
Best Original Song Academy Award-winning songwriters
21st-century English singers
Ballad musicians
Alumni of British Youth Music Theatre
Juno Award for International Album of the Year winners
Non-binary musicians
20th-century LGBT people
21st-century LGBT people