Sam Smith reveals they’re open to dating a man, woman or non-binary person
SAM SMITH was one of the most high-profile gay stars in showbiz but after coming out as non-binary last year, that might not be the case any more.
The four-times Grammy winner is now open to dating people of “any gender”, having decided the pronouns “they/them” felt more appropriate rather than “he/him”.
In an exclusive chat with Bizarre at London’s famous Abbey Road Studios to mark the release of new album Love Goes, Sam explained: “I’ve never really kind of played by the rule book. I love people and whoever I fall for, that’s who I fall for. I don’t know who that’s going to be.
“Now I don’t know what gender they will be, to be quite honest, and that’s a freeing thing — to not be limited to one category of person.
“I just fall in love with whoever I fall in love with.
“I generally have never really thought about people, any human beings, in rigid terms.
“I’ve grown up in a family where the gender power balance and all these things were completely shifted.
“My mum worked, my dad was a househusband. My sisters are incredibly strong women.”
Although it’s a difficult thing for some people to get their heads around, I’ve got nothing but praise for Sam, who has been brave enough to open up about who they really are.
The hugely successful star came out as gay aged ten but said it wasn’t until meeting other non-binary people that they started to understand themself.
Speaking about asking to be referred to with different pronouns, the singer said: “I’ve always felt the way I’ve felt.
“It wasn’t a new feeling, it was just the discovery of a language and a community of people that felt the same way.
“It’s been lovely. It’s been a process of feeling heard and seen — that there is a space that I can live in and enjoy my life in and feel completely like myself, and be treated as such. I think that’s the difference with the pronouns.”
The album has already been referred to as a break-up album, believed to be inspired by Sam’s nine-month relationship with 13 Reasons Why actor Brandon Flynn, which ended in 2018.
But that’s not quite something the singer agrees with.
Sam explained: “When people say break-up album, it’s like, it is, but it’s more about how a break-up changes you, especially your first one.
“You know, this is about my first ever relationship and I think anyone’s first relationship is a big thing.
“But a queer person’s first relationship is a huge thing sometimes, because it’s where you discover the most about yourself.
“And so it’s more about me and my journey after that, really. But yeah, it is basically a break-up album.”
There haven’t been too many love stories to inspire songs recently though.
Asked about dating as a celebrity, Sam admitted: “That’s hard. Just never getting my way through being single and famous is challenging at times, for sure.”
And on whether there have been any bad dating experiences, Sam continued: “Oh many, many, many. Yeah, of course. Thank God I’ve had them too.
“I’m trying to look at all experiences now as a wonderful thing. Fame in general, it takes a minute to get your head round it. I think it’s just going to take a little bit longer for me to find someone.
“And also I’m too busy, if I’m honest, to facilitate any sort of relationship.”
The changes in the last couple of years have clearly done wonders for Sam, who was beaming while chatting about life with me and my reporter Howell Davies on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking about how they feel now, Sam beamed: “I feel light.
“I feel this, like, eagerness to just have fun in my life and I feel like I’ve got so much more to explore in terms of love and relationships and music and all these things. And I’m just open and ready.”
Album which refused to die
SAM’S third album Love Goes was finally released yesterday – six months later than planned after almost being scrapped.
The singer decided to delay it at the beginning of lockdown in March because of its unfortunate former title To Die For and, for a while, thought it might never be released.
Sam said: “It was weird. There were definitely questions about whether I was going to release it, because when Covid hit, I was just like, there is no way – these songs don’t relate to me and how I’m feeling right now.
“But after about a month and a half of lockdown and listening to the record, I still loved the songs so much.
“They made me happy and I thought it would be upsetting if people didn’t hear it.
“People will only understand my next record if they hear this one.”
And it’s not just the record which the Diamonds singer is looking forward to.
Asked about what career goals are still on their bucket list, Sam added: “To headline at Glastonbury would be unbelievable.
“I mean, whether my anxiety would even let me get through it would be another conversation, because I can’t even imagine how scared people must be, doing that.
“But do you know what? My ambitions now have definitely changed.
“I want to build a catalogue of music and every album I bring out, I want to take a risk and push myself and learn more about my instrument, become a better songwriter.
“I’m getting back to where I was before I became known, which was just someone who’s passionate about their trade and I think that’s what I want to focus on.”
Sweary Gordon is music to Joel's ears
HE’S been the breakout British star of 2020 so Joel Corry needs all the sleep he can get, what with his busy schedule.
The DJ, whose summer hit Head & Heart spent six weeks at No1, has revealed a strange way of getting himself to sleep after arriving home late from a DJ set – he watches clips of foul-mouthed chef Gordon Ramsay.
In an exclusive chat, Joel said: “When I get back from a gig, at like five in the morning, I’ll have been DJing for four hours, my ears are ringing and I’m a bit wavy.
"The way I get to sleep, I put on Gordon Ramsay on YouTube. That’s how I get off to sleep. I love it. It just works for me.”
So it was a dream come true for Joel earlier this week when the celebrity chef posted a video on social media playing Head & Heart.
Joel will play a set this evening as part of Kiss’ Haunted House Party along with Craig David, Mnek and Dizzee Rascal, which is streaming online from 6pm.
He revealed he has a Walking Dead-themed set in store for viewers in tribute to his fave show.
Joel said: “Performers will be coming out as zombies and I’ve added a bit of the theme music into the set here and there. Hopefully everyone’s going to love it.”
He’s the man of the moment so no doubt they will.
Bra-vote to Kate
KATE Beckinsale has claimed she posted this photo to encourage people to turn out for the US election but I have a sneaking suspicion that she had an ulterior motive.
The British actress, who lives in Los Angeles, looked on top form in a tiny bra top emblazoned with the word “Vote”, just a week after The Sun revealed she had split from her toyboy boyfriend, Canadian rapper Goody Grace.
Photos like this one will surely mean no shortage of romantic offers if Kate wants to leave the single market again.
It’s not just the break-up which has left her feeling sore, though.
Posting this snap on Instagram yesterday, she warned: “Do not wear a metal bra next to an open fire for an extended period of time.”
Painter Morgan puts the art into charts
VINYL is making a big comeback – in the form of supersize artworks.
Artist Morgan Howell has painted giant versions of classic 7in singles which have been compiled in a book, Morgan Howell At 45rpm, with celebrities including Piers Morgan and Gary Kemp describing what their favourite hits mean to them.
Piers picked The Beatles’ Hey Jude from 1968 and said: “If ever the world needed this song, it’s surely now?
“A powerfully poignant reminder of the need to maintain hope and positivity, however bleak things may seem.
"It’s a message to us all about finding the courage to dust yourself down when life takes a downturn, and to go out and get what you want.
“l think it’s one of the greatest ballads ever written, and the lyrics have resonated strongly with me at various moments of my life, both professional and personal, when everything’s crashed and burned.
“A wonderful song by a wonderful songwriter, and the perfect anthem for these troubled times.”
Gary picked David Bowie’s 1972 song Ziggy Stardust and said: “From those opening power chords – a baroque-styled, ornamental fanfare, reminiscent of Handel – we are placed as subjects, disciples at the temple of Ziggy.
lt is as though we are at some grand memorial service for this alien rock superstar. Ziggy is a Caesar for our age: messianic, sexual and beautiful – ‘the Nazz’, ‘well-hung’ with ‘god-given ass’ – and we listen to his tale awestruck through to its final triumphant, melodramatic chord.
Most read in Bizarre
"Strangely, Bowie isn’t Ziggy in this centrepiece of a concept album that became my aural bible as a teenager.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
“His ability to slip in and out of the character gave us the belief that we could be him too.
"We were all able to escape the humdrum of 70s life and aspire to a greater, more thrilling form. Ziggy played guitar, but more deeply he played upon our imaginations.”
GOT a story? RING The Sun on 0207 782 4104 or WHATSAPP on 07423720250 or EMAIL [email protected]