In a new interview, out British singer-songwriter Sam Smith discussed his sexuality and music.
In March, Smith, who identifies as non-binary, said that they were working on their fourth studio album.
"This next record is different and there may be things you will be surprised to hear, but I feel so lucky to know that in your hands my work is safe," Smith said in a letter to fans.
Speaking with men's glossy GQ, Smith – whose latest single with Kim Petras, "Unholly," launched at number 1 on the Billboard Global charts – said that they felt "a bit trapped" dressing up in male clothing at the start of their career.
"This is what I think people don't understand: That the first five years of my career, I almost felt like I was a woman, at times, dressing up in male clothing," Smith said. "It didn't feel like I was regressing in any way. It just felt like I was trying new things out. That's when I realized that I felt a bit trapped. Like, 'Oh, wow, people think this is who I am and what I've always been.'"
"I've always felt queer. I've always felt gender non-conforming. And I've always felt non-binary trans. My whole life. And it wasn't until I had to sit in interviews every day and tell people my story again and again and again that I realized this narrative that was being created was only a small fraction of who I was," they said.
Smith added that his songs have "always been queer."
"The subject matter of my songs [has] always been about men I've been in love with. They've always been queer. And I don't enjoy the fact that to be queer, it has to be dance music," Smith said. "I think queer music can be country, it can be folk, it can be jazz, it can be anything."
In March, Smith, who identifies as non-binary, said that they were working on their fourth studio album.
"This next record is different and there may be things you will be surprised to hear, but I feel so lucky to know that in your hands my work is safe," Smith said in a letter to fans.
Speaking with men's glossy GQ, Smith – whose latest single with Kim Petras, "Unholly," launched at number 1 on the Billboard Global charts – said that they felt "a bit trapped" dressing up in male clothing at the start of their career.
"This is what I think people don't understand: That the first five years of my career, I almost felt like I was a woman, at times, dressing up in male clothing," Smith said. "It didn't feel like I was regressing in any way. It just felt like I was trying new things out. That's when I realized that I felt a bit trapped. Like, 'Oh, wow, people think this is who I am and what I've always been.'"
"I've always felt queer. I've always felt gender non-conforming. And I've always felt non-binary trans. My whole life. And it wasn't until I had to sit in interviews every day and tell people my story again and again and again that I realized this narrative that was being created was only a small fraction of who I was," they said.
Smith added that his songs have "always been queer."
"The subject matter of my songs [has] always been about men I've been in love with. They've always been queer. And I don't enjoy the fact that to be queer, it has to be dance music," Smith said. "I think queer music can be country, it can be folk, it can be jazz, it can be anything."
This article appeared at On Top Magazine and has been published here with permission.
