Samuel Frederick “Sam” Smith (born 19 Might 1992) is a British singer-songwriter. He rose to fame in October 2012 when he was featured on Disclosure’s breakthrough single “Latch”, which peaked at 11 on the UK chart. His subsequent feature-on Naughty Boy’s “La La La”-earned him his first 1 single in May 2013.
In December 2013, he was nominated for the 2014 BRIT Critics’ Selection Award and the BBC’s Sound of 2014 ballot, each of which he won. He launched his debut studio album, Within the Lonely Hour, in May 2014 on Capitol Records. The lead single, “Lay Me Down”, was launched previous to “La La La”. The second single was “Cash on My Thoughts”.
Sam Smith was born in London, England. He is an alumnus of Youth Music Theatre UK and starred of their 2007 manufacturing of “Oh! Carol”. For a lot of years he studied singing and songwriting underneath jazz vocalist/pianist Joanna Eden. He attended St Mary’s Catholic Faculty in Bishop’s Stortford. He was a member of the Bishop’s Stortford Junior Operatics (now Bishops Stortford Musical Theatre Society) and the successful Cantate Youth Choir
In 2009, his mom Kate Cassidy, a banker who earned greater than £500,000 a yr, launched a £1.5m Excessive Courtroom battle against her former employers Tullett Prebon. The corporate dismissed her amid accusations that she was spending too much time managing her son’s music career.
He is a third-cousin of singer Lily Allen and actor Alfie Allen.
2012-thirteen: Breakthrough
In October 2012, Smith featured on Disclosure’s single “Latch”; it was launched on eight October 2012 and peaked at eleven on the UK Singles Chart. In February 2013 he launched his debut single “Lay Me Down”, the lead single from his debut album. He featured on Naughty Boy’s single “La La La”; the only was launched on 19 May 2013, hit 1 on the UK Singles Chart on 26 Could 2013 ― for the week ending dated 1 June 2013 ― and was dethroned the following week by Blurred Strains by Robin Thicke featuring Pharrell Williams and T.I. He launched an EP consisting of 4 tracks. The first, titled “Protected With Me”, is produced by Two Inch Punch and premiered on MistaJam’s BBC Radio 1Xtra present on 24 July 2013. The second music on the EP is titled “Nirvana” and is produced by Craze & Hoax and Jonathan Creek. The EP additionally consists of Smith’s acoustic solo version of “Latch” and a reside version of “I’ve Advised You Now”. Smith launched the Disclosure, Nile Rodgers, and Jimmy Napes collaboration “Collectively” on 25 November 2013 as the only single from Settle: The Remixes. Smith received the BRIT Critics’ Selection Award 2014.
2013-present: In the Lonely Hour
The second single from his debut album, titled “Cash on My Thoughts”, was released on 16 February 2014. It was announced on 16 December that Smith’s debut studio album titled In the Lonely Hour could be launched on 26 May 2014 by Capitol Records. He describes the album as “all about unrequited love” as a result of he has by no means been beloved again by any of his love interests. A live version of album observe “I’ve Told You Now”, performed at St Pancras Outdated Church, was made obtainable for free download as part of an Amazon.com promotion on 27 December 2013. The album track “Make It To Me”, co-written by Howard of Disclosure and Jimmy Napes, was made obtainable totally free download as part of an iTunes Store promotion on thirteen January 2014. Smith went on his debut American headlining tour in the Spring of 2014, with a setlist of primarily new material.
On January 20, 2014, Smith made his American tv debut performing “Latch” with Disclosure on “Late Evening With Jimmy Fallon”. He also performed on Saturday Evening Stay on 29 March 2014, performing “Stay with Me” and “Lay Me Down”.
On 29 Could 2014 Sam made his debut in Italy on Rai 2’s The Voice of Italy performing “Stick with Me”.
In June 2014, Sam Smith first appeared on the duvet of The Fader in its 92nd issue.
Smith cites Amy Winehouse as an affect, so much in order that in May 2014, he tweeted that he still missed her. He further lists Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey as influences. In Could 2014, Smith declared himself as gay. Smith also explained that lots of the songs on his debut album had been inspired by unrequited love, stating “In the Lonely Hour is a couple of guy that I fell in love with last year, and he didn’t love me back. I feel I am over it now, however I was in a very dark place. I stored feeling lonely in the fact that I hadn’t felt love before.”
In an interview with 4Music, Smith opened up about his struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder. “I even have OCD actually bad, and it’s getting a bit worse in the intervening time,” he said. “I have to verify taps… before I leave the home, to verify I’ve checked every thing in case it floods.”