Sam Smith is making an homage to their musical icons on the cover of Rolling Stone UK.
In the feature ahead of their forthcoming album, Gloria Sam Smith models a number of t-shirts brandished with their favourite artists.
ABBA, Freddy Mercury, Britney Spears, and Lady Gaga all feature – LGBTQ+ icons that have paved the way in the world of music.
Having just released their third single, ‘Gimme‘ featuring Koffee and Jessie Reyez, the singer-songwriter opened up about finding freedom as they step into a new creative era coinciding with this new album.
“I’ve always been someone who wants to push,” Sam shares, reminiscing on how they “wore all-female clothing and full makeup in school.”
“But I got tired of pushing,” Sam admits. “I didn’t want to dress up as much; it was a time when I wanted to take a break and fit in.”
However, now, Sam is ready to reaccept the liberation they felt when they were younger.
In their pop star journey, Sam has faced plenty of opposition, some of it internal. “I was afraid to express certain things,” they note. “My sex in the music. My happiness within the music.”
“Those themes were sometimes incredibly private and I felt more comfortable showing other sides of me,” they explain.
Gloria, however, is an offering from Sam we’re not used to. This is not an album of heartbreak but of self-love.
“Self-love is not a destination — it’s a daily commitment to accept yourself,” Sam remarks on the topic. “On some days you might have days where you feel like you don’t feel like you can love yourself and you’ve just got to be kind and calm.”
On coming out as non-binary and genderqueer in 2019 Sam told Rolling Stone UK: “It changed everything.”
They remember: “There was a part of me that felt like I was explaining something that’s always been there, which is a wonderful feeling.
“I think we’re always growing and shifting and moving and being reborn in some way and I’ve enjoyed riding the wave. At times it’s been hard, and it’s been a struggle, but the closer you feel to yourself, there’s nothing but joy there.
“Having people see me and understand me in the way that I’ve always wanted them to is a real gift and it’s never too late to do that.”
Gloria is out on 27 January.