British singer Sam Smith has stated in an interview for Apple Music that they have always been non-binary, discovering the terminology to describe their identity at age 27.
The 34-year-old artist reflected on their personal journey following the release of their 2014 debut album, In the Lonely Hour, explaining that their sense of identity had remained constant throughout their career.
Smith is an acclaimed British singer and songwriter who rose to prominence in the early 2010s. Non-binary is an umbrella term used to describe gender identities that fall outside the traditional binary concept of male or female.
Gender Identity and Language
Speaking about their public announcement in 2019, when they openly discussed their personal path and adopted they and them pronouns, Smith confessed that they had always been non-binary during the entire period after In the Lonely Hour. The singer explained that it was always who they were as a person.
Smith noted that discovering the proper terminology around the age of 27 felt like another coming out experience. They emphasized that finding those words ultimately brought them to where they are today, adding that there would be no further coming out process for them and describing that realization as truly liberating.
The musician's comments were highlighted in a report published by People magazine on social media following the release of the interview video.
Early Career and Music Pressures
Reflecting on the early stages of their music career, Smith stated that they had been true to themselves from the beginning. They noted that they were among the first queer artists to live openly from the very start of their professional journey.
However, the singer explained that the studio albums following the breakout success of In the Lonely Hour represented a difficult period of recovery. Smith described those years as an ongoing effort to understand who they were and figure out what they were supposed to communicate through their work.
The artist recalled that navigating that timeframe was challenging due to intense pressure from the music industry. Smith explained that they had to cope with those heavy demands while simultaneously trying to satisfy the public and manage the major life changes that come with becoming famous at 21.
Apple Music is a digital streaming service operated by Apple Inc. that regularly features in-depth interviews with major recording artists. Smith's debut album In the Lonely Hour earned global recognition upon its 2014 release, establishing the singer as a prominent voice in pop music.
