Sam Smith’s rise began as a guest voice on a dance record, not with a solo album. Their performance on Disclosure’s “Latch” in 2012 introduced an expressive singer to a broad audience; the following year, “La La La”, made with Naughty Boy, reached number one in the UK. Smith went on to make records that crossed pop, soul, R&B and dance, earning major awards and carrying a British voice into international charts.

From London to the first chart breakthroughs

Samuel Frederick Smith was born in London on 19 May 1992 and grew up in Great Chishill, Cambridgeshire. They attended Thomas More Primary School and St Mary’s Catholic School in Bishop’s Stortford, and studied singing and songwriting with jazz pianist Joanna Eden. As a young performer, Smith took part in musical theatre and youth music groups, and had released two singles before their breakthrough with Disclosure.

“Latch”, released in 2012, peaked at number 11 on the UK singles chart. In 2013, Smith featured on Naughty Boy’s “La La La”, which reached number one. Their debut album, In the Lonely Hour, followed in 2014. Its songs included “Stay with Me”, “I’m Not the Only One” and “Money on My Mind”; the album reached number one in the UK and number two in the United States. “Stay with Me” became an international hit, while “I’m Not the Only One” and “Like I Can” also reached the UK top ten.

Smith described In the Lonely Hour as an album about unrequited love, drawing on personal experience. Its emotional directness sat alongside polished pop and soul production that placed their voice at the centre. The album brought Smith four Grammy Awards in 2015, including Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Stay with Me”, and Best Pop Vocal Album. At the Brit Awards that year, Smith won British Breakthrough Act and Global Success.

A Bond theme and a changing sound

In 2015, Smith and songwriter Jimmy Napes wrote “Writing’s on the Wall” for Spectre. It became the first James Bond theme to reach number one on the UK singles chart. The song won a Golden Globe and the Academy Award for Best Original Song, which Smith and Napes collected together. The commission extended Smith’s reach beyond the album audience and connected their work with a long-running British film series.

Their second album, The Thrill of It All, arrived in 2017 and topped both the UK Albums Chart and the US Billboard 200. Its lead single, “Too Good at Goodbyes”, reached number one in the UK. Smith toured internationally from 2018 to 2019, while their collaborations moved between styles and audiences. “Promises”, with Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris, topped the UK singles chart in 2018. “Dancing with a Stranger”, with American singer Normani, followed in 2019, reaching the top ten in the UK and US.

Smith’s third album, Love Goes, was released in 2020 after its planned title and release arrangements changed during the Covid-19 pandemic. It included “Diamonds” and “How Do You Sleep?”. Smith marked its release with a concert streamed from Abbey Road Studios in London; the performance was later issued as Love Goes: Live at Abbey Road Studios. In 2021, Smith also recorded “You Will Be Found” with Summer Walker for the film adaptation of Dear Evan Hansen.

Gloria, “Unholy” and public identity

In 2022, Smith released “Unholy”, a collaboration with German singer Kim Petras. The track topped charts in the UK, the United States and other markets, becoming Smith’s first US number-one single. In 2023, Smith and Petras won the Grammy for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance. Smith’s fourth studio album, Gloria, followed in January 2023, and its supporting tour travelled through Europe, North America, Asia and Oceania. Smith collaborated with Calvin Harris again on “Desire”, released in 2023.

Smith has spoken publicly about their identity over several years. They came out as gay in 2014, said they were non-binary in 2017, and announced in 2019 that they use they/them pronouns. Their openness about gender identity is a documented part of their public life, alongside a career in music; the supplied material does not establish the wider claims of advocacy made in the imported article. Smith’s musical achievements include chart-topping recordings, major awards and high-profile collaborations across distinct settings.

Smith performed at the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall in 2024. Their fifth album, Hazel Eyes, was released in August 2026. Together with In the Lonely Hour, The Thrill of It All, Love Goes and Gloria, it forms a discography that has moved from intimate balladry to dance collaborations without leaving the voice at its centre. The first album was the best-selling debut album of the 2010s in the UK and the sixth best-selling album of that decade, according to the supplied account of Official Charts figures.

Why Sam Smith deserves a place in British Legacy

Sam Smith’s place in British music is grounded in a substantial body of work and a clear sequence of achievements. Their early appearances on “Latch” and “La La La” established a distinctive voice in UK chart pop; In the Lonely Hour then became a successful debut in Britain and abroad. The subsequent albums, international tours and collaborations show a career that continued to develop beyond its first breakthrough. Smith’s work with Jimmy Napes on “Writing’s on the Wall” brought a British songwriting partnership to a major film commission. The song became the first Bond theme to top the UK singles chart and won an Academy Award.

Their significance is not confined to sales or prizes. Smith’s music has moved between pop, soul, R&B and dance, and their performances have taken them from chart singles to the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. Their public statements about being non-binary and using they/them pronouns are also part of the story of their career, and give their visibility a specific context rather than making it a generic claim about influence. The record of chart achievements, songwriting recognition, stylistic range and continuing releases gives Sam Smith a distinctive place in British Legacy. It demonstrates how an artist rooted in British chart culture can work across international collaborations and audiences while remaining connected to the UK through their songs, awards and public performances.

Sources

Sam Smith — Wikipedia revision 1379527852

Adapted in part from Sam Smith by Wikipedia contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text has been edited and combined with the existing article; this adapted text is shared under the same licence. Contributor history.