Sam Smith reveals their new album ‘Gloria’ will feature Ed Sheeran, Jessie Reyez, and Koffee.
The 30-year-old star – who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns – took to Twitter to share details about their upcoming LP after already breaking records with the first single from the album, ‘Unholy’, a collaboration with Kim Petras that made them the first non-binary and transgender artists to sit atop the Billboard 100.
Jessie will be included on two of the record’s songs; the duet ‘Perfect’, and ‘Gimme’ along with Koffee, while Ed makes a guest slot on the last track on Sam’s fourth album – which is due out on January 27 2023 – ‘Who We Love’.
Meanwhile, the ‘Stay With Me’ hitmaker recently shared they it was “still hard to be queer” despite society’s progression and the industry they worked in, detailing how they experienced street harassment.
Sam told Zane Lowe on his Apple Music 1 radio show on Monday (07.11.2022): “Everything is moving forward in a wonderful way. But there is realities that are quite hard to swallow when it comes to the stats of the countries, where it’s still illegal and it is hard. It’s still hard to be queer. There’s still backlash. I still get things said to me on the street, even now. The weirdest thing is you can be famous, you can be a pop star and you still get it.”
Sam explained they found it strange “because I thought I’d become a pop star and I’d never get a bad word said to me ever again. I’d never have homophobia. I’d never experience it if I became a star. And then it happens and it’s still there. It’s still there.”
The ‘La La La’ hitmaker – who unveiled plans to go on a UK and European tour next year – admitted it took “bravery” to be who they are.
Sam said: “It just takes bravery. It really does. And I think you’re made to be, you have to talk about your queerness immediately, I think, if you become one and you’re queer. You have to talk about it all. And I’ve stepped into that because I’ve now realized how powerful that is. Oh my god. And there’s kids out there that need this. They need us to talk about it.”