Sam Smith has said it “takes a lot of courage” to express their “full, queer, authentic self” in the public eye.
The British pop singer said they did not feel any pressure to express their identity in their music, but that embracing it around other people remained “difficult”.
Smith came out as non-binary in an interview with Jameela Jamil in March 2019.
GLORIA ft @Jessiereyez, @originalkoffee, @kimpetras and @edsheeran!! 💛https://t.co/pOxl6VGwdx #GLORIA pic.twitter.com/Y0gPqoE8Bw
— SAM SMITH (@samsmith) November 10, 2022
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Friday, Smith said: “I started the wrong way round – I was very vulnerable at the beginning with how I expressed myself in my music, even though it takes a lot of courage to do what I’m doing now.”
Pressed on the matter further by presenter Charlie Stayt, the 30-year-old added: “Being yourself, being your full, queer, authentic self in 2022 is still difficult.
“It takes a lot of courage to express myself in that way in front of people.”
Smith stressed they were currently in a good place and that attitudes towards queer people had dramatically improved, saying “there’s so many beautiful positives” and “so much to celebrate”.
Their song Unholy with German singer-songwriter Kim Petras currently sits at number two in the charts after becoming their eighth UK number one single.
Smith said the song formed part of their desire to enter a new era in their work.
“After 10 years of these serious heartbreak records, I’m now enjoying having some fun and poking some fun and experimenting,” they said.
Smith announced the release of their fourth studio album Gloria last month, alongside a UK and Europe tour next spring.
The 13-track record, which Smith says is about “sexual, emotional and spiritual liberation”, will feature collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Koffee and Jessie Reyez and is set to be released on January 27 2023.
The tour, their first in five years, will open at the Motorpoint Arena in Sheffield on April 12 and run for six weeks, before concluding at Manchester’s AO Arena on May 24.
Smith said the tour would have to go bigger than previous shows, adding: “There’s going to be loads of glitter, loads of gold. It’s going to be fabulous.”
It was confirmed earlier this week that Smith will also be performing at Capital’s Jingle Bell Ball on December 10.