Sam spills on Beyonce and Kimye

September 17, 2014 5:23 pm 16 comments Views: 26
He’s got soul ... Sam Smith is dominating the charts and the world of celebrity.

He’s got soul … Sam Smith is dominating the charts and the world of celebrity.
Source: Supplied

SAM Smith has the fastest-selling album of the year, he’s the breakthrough act of 2014 and the man responsible for adding soul to modern radio.

Try telling that to his London neighbour. Unaware of the fact she lives next door to the owner of the No. 1 album in the UK this week, she is losing sleep due to Smith conducting phone interviews with Australia in his backyard after midnight to accommodate the time difference.

“She’s screaming in my face for being too loud,” Smith laughs. “I’ve just got in a huge argument. I tried to explain these are really important interviews and she just wouldn’t have it.”

Rewind just a few weeks and Smith was summoned to have a private audience with a more receptive woman — Beyonce.

Queen Bey requested Smith visit her in her dressing room when they were both performing at the VMAs: she played a 20 minute medley, he almost stole the show with three minutes of raw emotion in Stay With Me.

“I met Beyonce and my life is pretty much made now,” Smith says. “I can die happy. She told me my voice was like butter. Even talking about it now, it’s still sinking in. She is literally one of my biggest idols. For her to say that about my singing voice is just mental. It makes me want to work harder on my voice, train more and just get better and better.”

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Sam spills on Beyonce and Kimye

Celebrity friends … Sam Smith pictured with Beyonce behind the scenes at the MTV VMAs earlier this year.
Source: Supplied

If close to a million sales of his debut album In the Lonely Hour since May, global success of single Stay With Me (No. 2 in the US) and 400 million plus YouTube views weren’t proof enough of his success, after the VMAs Smith found himself the subject of his first GIF.

The online animation involved him sitting next to Katy Perry at the awards and seemingly giving Miley Cyrus “side eye” when she got a homeless man to accept her award.

“That was completely false,” Smith says. “I actually really like Miley, she’s a lovely girl, and what she did was great.”

As well as keeping Katy Perry company at awards’ shows, Kim Kardashian introduced Smith at the VMAs as “my friend” and has posted Instagram pictures of him dining with her, husband Kanye West and Pharrell among others.

Celebrity mixer ... Sam Smith with Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus.

Celebrity mixer … Sam Smith with Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus.
Source: Supplied

“It’s completely mental,” Smith admits. “But you start to realise they’re just people. You recognise them more for their talent than the fame. Kim and Kanye, I don’t know them too well, but they’re very calm and collected people.”

His face time with famous people, have been well documented on social media, as any 22 year old would do.

“I don’t get a chance to speak to my family too much at the moment because I’m so busy so the main thing social media does for me is show them what I’m doing. It’s also my way to interact with fans.”

This has not always been pleasant.

“There’s obviously loads of bullsh — that goes on. People say things, they’re cocky behind their computers. I’ve been using Facebook since I was 13, so I’m used to all that now. Everyone’s going to have something bad to say. I’m aware of that. I wouldn’t have gotten into the industry if that was going to be a problem. I’m still very prepared for people to slander me. I just let it go. I don’t hold grudges over something put on Twitter. You focus on the good stuff. People have opinions, I respect that.”

Smith is more concerned with the relative lack of interest in his sexuality. The singer says no one in his team ever told him to hide the fact he is gay.

“I surround myself with people who are very liberal and very comfortable. It wasn’t an issue for me at all. I’ve been very open from a very young age about it.”

Singer Sam Smith before his performance at the Red Bull Sound Space at 97.1 AMP Radio in

Singer Sam Smith before his performance at the Red Bull Sound Space at 97.1 AMP Radio in Los Angeles, California. Picture: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

In the past George Michael and Savage Garden’s Darren Hayes have hinted that they were warned Americans wouldn’t accept love songs they knew were written by a man for another man. Smith has proved that, in his case at least, America no longer cares.

“It gives me faith in humanity,” Smith says. “I was scared there would be some people in the world where my sexuality would make them not pick up my record. The thought of people not being able to hear the music I made scared me, because that’s my dream, for the whole entire world to sing my songs. That’s been my dream from a very young age. So it was a risk but I was proved completely wrong. People are listening to the music, that’s the most important thing.”

A recent interview quoted him as saying he did not want to be a spokesman for the gay community, which he denies.

“That was taken out of context. Of course I want to be a spokesman for the gay community. I want to be a spokesman for everyone. What I meant was I don’t want to limit to just one community, I want to reach everyone, gay people, lesbians, transsexuals, straight people, Catholics, anyone. I want my music to hit everyone.

A young man’s old soul

Wide popularity … Sam Smith has fans of all ages.
Source: Supplied

“You just need to come to my concerts and see the range of people there, from 12 year old girls to 60 year old women. That’s my main aim. I don’t put things in boxes, that’s the way I’ve grown up. I believe people are people and music is music. I’m just a 22 year old boy writing songs about being lonely and hoping everyone will sing them with me, that’s kind of it.”

Smith is following the Adele policy and will not name the heterosexual man who inspired some of the unrequited love songs on In the Lonely Hour.

Listen to Sam’s album in our Spotify playlist below:

Sam Smith: In The Lonely Hour

“I give so much away all the time about my personal life, I definitely have to keep that a secret. He’s heard them, he’s happy, he’s very mature about it. To be honest there’s only five songs on the album that are about him, the rest of the album is about me feeling sorry for myself!”

The songwriter has already started working on his second album.

“There’s one happy song, or happy-ish,” Smith laughs. “Another is what you’d call hopeful. It’s not as depressing as some of the songs on the first album anyway.”

There’s also a fresh relationship, which may be documented on album No.2.

“I’m dating one person at the moment, but it’s very early days and I’m a commitment-probe, so …”

Play it again Sam ... Sam Smith plays live in LA last month. Picture: Getty Images

Play it again Sam … Sam Smith plays live in LA last month. Picture: Getty Images
Source: Getty Images

He’s more comfortable talking about his work with Mary J Blige on her new album; after meeting through his mates Disclosure (he was the voice on their international hit Latch), who’s she’s recorded and performed with.

“I’ve met some of the most famous people and Mary J Blige is one of the most humble. She was incredible. This album is an iconic project. For her to take a risk on me and people like Disclosure is amazing. There’s a song on her album I wrote — it’s very, very personal. I wrote it about me and she started singing it and immediately it was her song. It was a very weird feeling.”

Smith also hails Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse as two of his biggest musical heroes. Is he also learning what not to do from the two women who died young?

“I can see the dangers,” Smith says. “I don’t do drugs, I steer away form all that. I look on the positives in their lives and what they achieved. I want to replicate that. What happened to them is an example to all of us.”

While Smith is busy ticking heroes off his wish list, there’s still two he wants an audience with.

“I really want to meet Meryl Streep. That’s my dream. I love her so much. Meryl Streep and the Queen and I’ll be happy.”

Sam Smith, Brisbane Riverstage, April 25. $ 68.35, Ticketmaster

Sam Smith, Hordern Pavilion, April 27, 28. $ 67.60, Ticketek

Sam Smith, Margaret Court Arena, April 30. $ 68.20, Ticketek

www.news.com.au/entertainment/music

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