‘SNL’ Hit Musician Sam Smith Comes Out As Gay

Although Sam Smith, 22, has been at it for a while as a musician, he was largely introduced to the world like many up and coming artists through Saturday Night Live. The artist was guest musician this year, and since then has blown up on Top 40 radio with his singles “Money On My Mind” and “Stay With Me.”

Before his recent interviews with press, there hadn’t been a lot of information out on Sam Smith. Now Smith is revealing what some people might have suspected, as he came out as gay during an interview with The Fader. Smith, who is known as a British singer-songwriter, debuts his first album In the Lonely Hour this summer. To promote the album he spoke openly about his lover, who is the main focus for the LP.

According to Smith, the album is about, “a guy that I fell in love with last year, and he didn’t love me back.”

Explaining his blunders in love, Smith admitted that he doesn’t have relationships, but instead has experienced unrequited love numerous times.

“I’ve only been in unrequited relationships where people haven’t loved me back. I guess I’m a little bit attracted to that in a bad way.”

Of his time with the anonymous lover, the soulful singer seems to have come out on the other side of things.

“I think I’m over it now, but I was in a very dark place. I kept feeling lonely in the fact that I hadn’t felt love before. I’ve felt the bad things. And what’s a more powerful emotion: pain or happiness?”

Smith, who rose to recognition in the UK when he was featured on Disclosure’s single “Latch,” is very open about his thoughts on love and his sexuality. Never hiding his true self from people, Smith said:

“I’m very comfortable and happy with everything. I just wanted to talk about him and have it out there. It’s about a guy and that’s what I wanted people to know—I want to be clear that that’s what it’s about. I’ve been treated as normal as anyone in my life; I’ve had no issues.”

Although he’s an openly gay musician, that doesn’t mean Sam Smith is only writing and recording music for one group of people. The musician said that he wants his music to be inclusive to everyone that has dealt with the pains of love.

“I’ve made my music so that it could be about anything and everybody—whether it’s a guy, a female or a goat—and everybody can relate to that. I’m not in this industry to talk about my personal life unless it’s in a musical form.”

Sam Smith’s album hits stores on June 17.

[Image via NBC Universal Television]