Sam Smith has admitted their fame made it extra-challenging to come out as non-binary last year.
The singer, who will drop their third studio album, Love Goes, on October 30, told British Vogue: ‘It was a big step to make. And it definitely felt very official.
‘I felt like I did have to go through the beginnings of that in front of people for the first time which was quite scary.
‘You know in an ideal world, I would have been home and not famous, and I would have been able to just change my pronouns and figure that out by myself.’
But ultimately, Sam said, it was a huge relief to share their whole self with fans—parts of which they’d kept hidden since entering the public eye after featuring on Disclosure’s ‘Latch’ in 2012.
‘People don’t know this about me because…when I was 20 and started making music, I was obviously in suits and had my coif and stuff,’ they said.
‘But before that, when I was 15-18, I was wearing makeup [and] all female clothing throughout school.
‘So it was something that I was, but I hid it away when I started becoming successful I think.
‘Because I felt pressure from the industry, pressure from people, and from myself.
‘But it’s just been this coming home feeling the last year which has been so wonderful. Just to feel comfortable in your skin is a wonderful thing isn’t it?’
The veteran performer, who has been candid about their mental health in the past, also shared how they experienced a ‘terrible bout’ of stage fright at the end of their last tour.
They said: ‘I never had panic attacks before, so I was getting really, really scared onstage and just uncomfortable and struggling with my breathing….’
But the Cambridgeshire native said over the last few months they’ve come to accept the idea that sometimes things do go wrong.
‘I performed just before lockdown and it was really empowering because I was like, do you know what, I can go on stage, I can mess up, I can fall on my face, and it’s Ok. It’s going to be a beautiful mess.’
Hear hear, Sam.
Love Goes will drop Friday 30 October on Capitol Records.
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