Sam Smith Page 10

After spending yesterday apologising and trying to explain himself after his Oscars acceptance speech, Sam Smith has decided to log off twitter for a while. The singer came under fire on social media after Sunday night’s ceremony, where he mistakenly thought he was the first openly gay man to win an Oscar.

Sam Smith is taking a break from twitter.

On Tuesday (March 1st) Smith tweeted: ‘I'm logging off for a while. Some Martinis shaken not stirred are definitely in order.’ Smith’s twitter break comes after his Oscar win for best original song was overshadow by his speech, where he suggested he might be the first openly gay man to take home an Oscar.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Quits Twitter After Oscars Backlash

It’s been quite the 48 hours for British singer Sam Smith. First he performed Bond theme ‘Writings on the Wall’ at the Oscars, then he took home the best original song award. But his big moment was quickly overshadowed by his speech, in which he mistakenly said he was the first openly gay Oscar winner. Then there was 2009 Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black, who called out the singer on twitter and accused him of texting his fiancé Tom Daley.

Sam Smith has apologised to Dustin Lance Black after his Oscars mix-up.

After Smith’s speech Black tweeted, ‘Hey @SamSmithWorld, if you have no idea who I am, it may be time to stop texting my fiancé.’ Backstage at the awards, Smith was told of his mistake and said: “Shit! Fuck that! Two’s my lucky number, so it’s all good. Who was the other person?”

Continue reading: Sam Smith Apologises To Dustin Lance Black After Oscars Faux Pas

Sam Smith has hit back at criticism he’s received after he tweeted his shock at witnessing his friend being racially abused on a night out in London earlier this week.

In the early hours of Wednesday (January 20th), the ‘Stay With Me’ singer took to Twitter to express his horror at the situation, with a series of posts detailing the incident. However, having received a deluge of tweets mocking his response to the situation, with many expressing incredulity that he couldn’t know about racism in Britain and others criticising him for making it all about himself, 23 year old Smith posted a message via Instagram later the same evening to clear up what he meant.

Sam Smith at the 'Spectre' premiere in October 2015

Continue reading: Sam Smith Clarifies Position After Being Mocked On Twitter For Reaction To Racist Abuse

Singer Sam Smith has tweeted of his shock after witnessing a friend being racially abused on the streets of London. However the singer himself has also come under fire, with many being confused as to how he could be surprised that racism still exists today in Britain.

Sam Smith has tweeted his shock after his friend was racially abused in London.

‘Just experienced my friend getting verbally abused racially in London. I am absolutely SPEECHLESS,’ Smith tweeted in the early hours of Thursday morning. ‘I never ever ever ever thought that would happen here. Absolutely speechless and hurt.’

Continue reading: Sam Smith Left 'Shocked And Speechless' After Friend Is Racially Abused In London

With the likes of Adele and Sam Smith reigning in the charts at the moment, it's safe to say this year has seen a fair few landmark moments for pop music. It's also been a competitive one, with some stars barely getting a moment to bask in their glory of a Guinness World Record before it was abruptly snatched away by the next pop sensation.

Here's a few of 2015's broken records so far:

Adele's comeback was one of the biggest events of 2015

Continue reading: 6 Reasons Why 2015 Was A Record-Breaking Year For Pop Music

Sam Smith has revealed that all it took to land the chance to sing the new Bond theme was, "the cockiest email in the world". Sitting down with director Sam Mendes and producer Barbara Broccoli in the latest Spectre vlog, Smith explained how he came to land the Bond gig and what the honour means to him.

Sam Smith has opened up about how he landed the Spectre theme.

“I remember sending an email to my agents in America – probably the cockiest email in the world,” the singer revealed. “ I just said 'is there any way I could do the Bond theme?’ The next thing I knew, I was asked to go to Pinewood Studios to meet with Barbara and Sam.”

Continue reading: "The Cockiest Email In The World" Landed Sam Smith The Chance To Sing 'Spectre' Theme

Pop superstar Sam Smith has literally broken his silence after his vocal cord operation last month. He’s said he’s “so relieved” to be allowed to speak again after being told he couldn’t talk for three weeks after the surgery.

The 23 year old singer spoke to BBC Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw’s Breakfast Show on Tuesday morning (June 9th), talking about what it’s been like to be unable to speak for nearly a whole month. “It was horrendous. It was so bad. But I got through and everyone's been so amazing about it, so thank you.”

Sam Smith is able to talk again after his vocal cord surgery

Continue reading: Sam Smith Had To Speak Via Phone App While Recovering From Throat Surgery

Forecastle Festival has finally completed its 2015 line-up and announced the full day-by-day schedule for the coming event, which is set to hit Louisville, Kentucky yet again in July. Plus, you'll very soon be able to purchase single day tickets for each day.

Joining the stellar line-up headlined by the already announced Sam Smith, locals My Morning Jacket and Widespread Panic are The War On Drugs, ZZ Ward, Robert DeLong and Mariachi el Bronx among a handful of others. With such talent expected every day between July 17th and 19th, 2015 is shaping up to be an important year for Forecastle.

Continue reading: Forecastle Completes 2015 Line-Up With The War On Drugs And Mariachi El Bronx

Paul McCartney and Metallica have been announced as the headliners for this year's Lollapalooza Festival, taking place at Chicago's Grant Park on July 31st through to August 2nd. The legendary Beatle’s heading slot marks his first ever appearance at the long-running festival, while fellow headliners Metallica are making their Lollapalooza return after a 19 year absence.

Paul McCartney is headed to Grant Park

McCartney will headline the opening night of the festival, with The Weeknd, The War On Drugs, Alabama Shakes, Alt-J, Hot Chip and James Bay also scheduled to take the stage on Friday, July 31st.

Continue reading: Paul McCartney, Metallica And Florence And The Machine Lead Lollapalooza 2015 Line-Up

It’s been a big week for new music releases in the Billboard 200 albums chart, as all of top three positions are taken by new entries. The soundtrack to smash musical drama ‘Empire’ has edged out Madonna’s new album to claim the top spot in this week’s chart.

The Fox hit series been tearing up the music charts as well as the TV ratings, selling 130,000 units in the week ending March 15th, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was also the third highest-rated primetime broadcast of the week, with last Wednesday’s episode attracting 14.9 million viewers.

Madonna's 'Rebel Heart' is her first album not to be US Number 1 in 17 years

Continue reading: Soundtrack To Fox's 'Empire' Beats Madonna To American Chart Top Spot

It’s getting to be a bit like Groundhog Day… another Wednesday, another week at Number 1 for the musical machine that is Taylor Swift. 1989 has notched up an eleventh non-consecutive week at the top of the US Billboard 200, according to figures released by Nielsen SoundScan.

It means that the album, released 15 weeks ago way back November, is now equal with Swift’s second record Fearless for her longest reign at the top. In all that time, it has been no lower than Number 2, interrupted by one week stints for One Direction, J.Cole, Meghan Trainor and Fall Out Boy.

Taylor Swift scored an 11th non-consecutive week at Number 1

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Sittin' Pretty At Number One For 11th Week

All eyes were on Sam Smith on Sunday night's 57th Annual Grammy Awards, held at Los Angeles' Staples Center, as he walked away with four major awards. So it is no surprise to learn that the British singer was up until 6.30 a.m. celebrating his triumphant evening.

Sam Smith won four Grammy awards including Record and Song of the Year

However, instead of acknowledging his success with the rest of the music industry's high-profile stars, Sam chose to party with the people who have always been by his side, including his parents and little sisters.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Reveals How He Celebrated Winning Four Grammy Awards

Sam Smith won four Grammys on Sunday night, including record and song of the year. He used his acceptance speech to reflect on a time in which he lost weight in order to try and break through in the music industry.

Sam Smith won four Grammy awards including Record and Song of the Year

"Before I made this record, I was doing everything to try to get my music heard. I tried to lose weight and I was making awful music. It was when I started to be myself that the music flowed," he said.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Was Making "Awful Music" After Losing Weight

So um, the Grammys are about to get really interesting this year – mostly because there are so many fresh faces on the nominees list. From Bastille to Sam Smith, you could call this the year of the young and angsty up-and-comers.

The lads of Bastille are staying humble and supporting their fellow artists tonight.

Debutants Bastille, who are nominated in the Best New Artist category, are planning to spend the night ““awkwardly tripping down the red carpet and pulling our shirt collars,” per their interview with MTV. They certainly have a reason to be nervous, as the category also includes some of the biggest successes of 2014 - Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith, Brandy Clark and Haim.

Continue reading: Grammy Newcommers Bastille Preparing For A Surreal Night

Taylor Swift has returned to the top of the American album charts yet again, making her only the second woman in Billboard history to have more than one album that has clocked up ten or more weeks at Number 1.

Her fifth album 1989 racked up equivalent sales of 101,000 in the week ending February 1st, consisting of 71,000 pure album sales, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. It has now spent ten non-consecutive weeks atop the chart, replicating the feat she achieved over 2008-09 with her second album Fearless.

Taylor Swift has equalled a chart record held by only six other artists

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Returns To Number 1, Matches Whitney Houston's Record

The Grammy Awards certainly has a reputation for delivering some of the best (and most surprising) musical performances of the year. But the 2015 line-up looks set to blow previous years away, as a number of dream come true duets have been announced for Sunday’s ceremony.

Sam Smith will share the Grammy's stage with Mary J Blige

British singer and first time nominee Sam Smith will be taking the stage with the Queen of soul Mary J Blige, for what promises to be an unmissable performance. The pair previously worked together on the song ‘Therapy’ from Blige’s The London Sessions album.

Continue reading: From Sam Smith And Mary J. Blige To Beck And Chris Matin: Duets Dominate Grammy Awards Live Line-Up

The Super Bowl XLIX was all anyone could talk about over the weekend - and it wasn't just about the epic win of the New England Patriots over the Seattle Seahawks. As per usual, this year provided some pretty hilarious highlights, most notably from 'The Tonight Show''s Jimmy Fallon.

Jimmy Fallon provided the comedy at Super Bowl XLIX

Fallon was shooting a Super Bowl special for 'The Tonight Show', filming at the Orpheum Theatre in Phoenix for the first time in honour of the occasion. Despite special guests Brandon LaFell, Danny Amendola and LeGarrette Blount of the Patriots making an appearance, Fallon did well to keep the attention on him with his admittedly impressive 'Super Bowl of Lip Sync Battles' skit.

Continue reading: Jimmy Fallon's Lip-Sync Battle Becomes Super Bowl XLIX Comedy Highlight

Another week, another number one album! Taylor Swift sits atop the latest edition of the US Billboard 200 in figures released by Nielsen SoundScan. For a ninth week, the superstar’s fifth album 1989 is the best-selling album in America.

In the week ending January 11th, it sold 155,000 equivalent units, in figures that take into account track equivalent album sales and streaming equivalent album sales. In pure album sales alone, 1989 shifted 111,000 copies which, while down 35% on last week’s total, was easily enough to put it ahead of its challengers.

Taylor Swift, pictured here with fellow pop star Lorde, is Number 1 in the US yet again

Continue reading: Another Week At Number 1 For Taylor Swift

Sam Smith continues to win over the nation with his debut album 'In The Lonely Hour' as it slides back up to number one in the UK Album Chart for its fifth non-consecutive week with more than 1.2 million copies sold.

Sam Smith back at number one

The British singer-songwriter shot to the top of the charts in June 2014 with the record, which includes the hit singles 'Money On My Mind' and 'Stay With Me', before returning to the top spot in September and no once again re-claiming that marker. The multi-platinum release has now had five weeks at the top according to the latest count.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Returns To Number One Yet Again With 'In The Lonely Hour'

Sam Smith was arguably the music industry's biggest breakout star of 2014, and with becoming a huge success it seems the British singer's confidence is at an all-time high - especially when he recently expressed his dismay at other pop stars.

Smith recently criticised today's younger music stars

While talking with singer-songwriter Chaka Khan in the new issue of V Magazine, of which he features on the front cover, Smith ruthlessly criticised some of today's younger music stars, branding them "just awful."

Continue reading: Sam Smith Calls Out His Fellow Singers: "Some Of These Pop Stars Are Just Awful"

One more accolade for the musician who’s owned pretty much everything in 2014: Taylor Swift’s 1989 has been confirmed as the highest selling album in the US for last year, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The all-conquering star - whose astonishing sales figures are all the more impressive when you consider that it’s only been on sale for nine weeks – edged out the soundtrack to Disney’s blockbuster Frozen during the very last week of sales for the year, with 326,000 sold. Its grand total for 2014 stands at 3.66 million copies.

Taylor Swift, performing here on New Year's Eve in Times Square, had the highest selling album of 2014

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Beats 'Frozen' To 2014's Best Selling Album

Sam Smith is the only artist in the world to sell one million albums in both the UK and US during 2014, the Official Charts Company has confirmed. In The Lonely Hour passed the one million mark in the UK during the last 24 hours, just one day after it achieved the same feat stateside.

Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour has sold one million copies in both the UK and US

"OFFICIALLY sold 1 MILLION copies of In The Lonely Hour! To say I am ecstatic is a huge understatement. Thank you so much to every single person who has purchased my album," Smith said in a statement.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Becomes Only Artist To Sell One Million In UK And US

He’s been massively successful in 2014 but he’s not letting success prevent him from being down to earth. Ed Sheeran has dismissed the suggestion that he should record the next James Bond theme song, joking that he’d only do it when his “balls drop”.

Ed Sheeran, pictured receiving his BBC Music Award, doesn't think he's right for a Bond theme song

Sheeran was speaking at the BBC Music Awards, during which he edged out Sam Smith, Royal Blood and David Bowie to win the award for British Artist of the Year. He said "I'd love to do a James Bond song, but can you imagine it? I just wasn't born with the James Bond voice," he said. "You never know - I'm not ruling it out. Maybe in ten years time, when my balls drop...".

Continue reading: Ed Sheeran Doesn't Think He'd Be Suited To Bond Theme Song

The inaugural BBC Music Awards will burst onto our screens this evening with a whole host of talent lighting up the stage. The event is offering three awards to the best in the music business including Song of the Year, British Artist of the Year and International Artist of the Year.

Sam Smith is in line to receive one of the first trophies from the inagural BBC Music Awards 

Members of the public have been tasked with deciding who will claim the best song of 2014 and have been voting for one of ten possibilities which feature tunes from Sam Smith, Pharrell Williams, Clean Bandit and Coldplay among others.

Continue reading: BBC Music Awards Ready To Take The Nation By Storm

Although everything else about 2014 seems to winding down ahead of the holiday season, there’s no sign of Taylor Swift’s dominance of the pop world coming to an end any time soon. Swift’s fifth album 1989 is spending a fifth week at the top of the US Billboard charts.

Having had her reign interrupted for a week at the end of November, with British band One Direction hitting the top spot with their new album Four, the 24 year old superstar returned to the top last week. With another 274,000 sales in the week ending December 7th, she has easily been able to retain her crown.

With a fifth non-consecutive week at Number 1, Taylor Swift's dominance shows no sign of abating

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Continues Reign At Number 1

Sam Mendes says the singer for the James Bond Spectre theme song has already been selected. Adele's theme for Skyfall is considered one of the finest 007 songs ever, though Barbara Broccoli clearly had somebody in mind to try and emulate the success of the Oscar-winning track.

According to the New York Post, Sam Smith has signed on to sing the new James Bond song

"When will you find out? You'll have to ask Barbara Broccoli, but I would say - on the basis of the last one - very, very late in the day," Mendes told Entertainment NOW! when pushed on a name for the new song.

Continue reading: James Bond 'Spectre' Singer Already Decided, But Is It Sam Smith?

It’s time to talk about the Grammys – which, of course, would be impossible without talking about Taylor Swift and Sam Smith. The young powerhouses of pop came out on top with two and four nods, respectively. But they had to wait a while to celebrate this year. Instead of the typical primetime concert, the Grammys turned Nomination Day into an actual day-long event this year.

Early on, Sam Smith led the pack with four nods.

Starring Iggy Azalea, Beyonce and Smith himself as presenters and Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran as presenters, there was quite a lot of back patting going on. "Very happy for Miley," said Williams, when asked what he thought about the nominations. "Super happy for Beyoncé. A lot of great names. ... Ed. That's big."

Continue reading: Taylor Swift And Sam Smith Lead The Pack In Ultra-Super-Twitterized Grammy Nominations

After a one week interruption, Taylor Swift’s new album 1989 returned to the top spot in the US Billboard 200. Having been dethroned by British band One Direction’s Four last week, the 24 year old’s fifth record, whose sales now stand at over 2.5 million, reclaimed its position at Number One.

Taylor Swift returns to Number 1 for a fourth week after a One Direction-interrupted break

This week’s chart is notable since it’s the first time that Billboard has incorporated on-demand streaming and digital sales data. It is the most significant overhaul of their methodology since 1991, when Nielsen’s ‘point of sale’ data (called SoundScan) was brought in.

Continue reading: Taylor Swift Returns To Number 1 In Albums Chart

British singer Sam Smith has took the music industry by storm in 2014 and garnered a global fan base after the release of his first album, 'In the Lonely Hour' (released May 26th), which included the hit singles, 'Money on My Mind' and 'Stay With Me.'

Sam Smith opened up about being gay in the music industry

But as the 22-year-old star, who is openly gay, tries to bask in all his success, a lot of the attention surrounding the award-winning singer only focuses on his sexuality, and whether or not he will be an influential figure within the gay community.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Opens Up About Wanting To Be A "Spokesperson For Everyone," Not Just The Gay Community

The three nominees for this year’s Critics’ Choice award at The Brits have just been announced. Cambridge-educated “urban wordsmith” George The Poet will face off against electropop trio Years And Years and singer songwriter James Bay for the award,  the winner of which will be announced on December 4th.

Sam Smith won the critics choice award last year

Last year the award was won by Sam Smith, whose debut album In The Lonely Hour went on to become 2014's best-selling debut. Previous recipients have also included Adele, Jessie J, Florence and the Machine and Emeli Sande.

Continue reading: Years And Years, George The Poet And James Bay Shortlisted For Brit’s Critics Choice Award

Having already won a string of MOBO Awards and a Brit alongside the buzz of his number one debut album and subsequent hit singles, Sam Smith is somehow avoiding letting this whirlwind of success go to his head.

Sam Smith landed Favourite Male Pop Artist at the AMAs

Sam Smith appeared at the 2014 American Music Awards on November 23rd where he was nominated in two sections: Favorite Male Pop/Rock Artist and Kohl's New Artist Of The Year, spectacularly winning (to no-one's surprise) in the first category. The 22-year-old was waylaid on the red carpet to discuss just how he feels being a multi-Platinum selling popstar.

Continue reading: American Music Award Winner Sam Smith: My Music Is My Diary

Fresh from being named the most successful R&B artist of all time by Billboard magazine, Mary J. Blige has explained why she believes she has stayed relevant over the past 25 years. The singer - who releases her latest album The London Sessions on December 2 - was speaking on the red-carpet at the American Music Awards, where she also performed.

Mary J. Blige at the American Music Awards in 2014

"Being myself, but not being afraid to take risks" she said when asked the key to staying popular in an ever-changing music business, "Staying true to my fans and knowing they are the reason that have gotten me here. And staying rounded and spiritual and prayerful. Knowing that God is first. That's what did it. Not wavering at all."

Continue reading: Mary J. Blige Reveals How She Stayed Relevant For 25 Years

Adele allegedly "ignored" Bob Geldof's calls about taking part in the Band Aid 30 charity single.

Adele is not taking part in Band Aid 30.

Read More: One Direction, Bono, Ed Sheeran: See Stars Arrive For Band Aid 30 Recording [Pictures].

Continue reading: Adele Allegedly "Ignored" Bob Geldof's Band Aid 30 Call But Makes Charitable Donation Instead

The Mobo Awards was hosted last night at the SSE Arena at Wembley, London, with British soul star Sam Smith making off with four awards. He won the gongs for Best RnB / Soul Act, Best Male, Best Song and Best Album.

Sam Smith dominated the MOBO Awards, taking home four trophies

Smith, 22, is having an astonishing year, with his debut album In The Lonely Hour currently the second biggest selling record of 2014 behind Ed Sheeran’s X. It has yielded two Number 1 singles in the shape of ‘Money On My Mind’ and ‘Stay With Me’. Earlier in the week, he also scooped a gong at the Q Awards. Indeed, by the time he picked up his final award of the evening he was running out of people to thank.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Dominates MOBO Awards

Meghan Trainor’s latest single, All About That Bass – you know, the one you haven’t been able to get out of your head for a month now – has reached No. 1 in the UK charts. The song’s first week out in full release saw it shoot straight for the top of the UK chart, just like it did in the US a month prior.

Trainor's celebration of curves shot her to chart success in the UK and US charts.

Fun fact: according to Billboard, All About That Bass is the first UK chart topper to get there entirely on streaming plays (well, mostly on streaming plays, anyway). Streams of 1.17 million saw it rise 53-33, and after its full release, raced to No. 1 on the Official Charts Company’s new data Sunday (Oct. 5). Its combined sales in the first week come out to 144,000 with 1,4 million streaming plays accounting for about over 9% of the aggregated tally (that means there’s a bit of math involved, so let’s not get too bogged down.)

Continue reading: Meghan Trainor Tops UK Chart With Catchy Single "All About That Bass"

The British music industry contributed £3.8 billion to the UK economy in 2013, according to an annual trade report. The increase can be traced to individual revenues by musicians, singers, composers, songwriters and lyricists, which rose to £1.7 billion. Live music sales rose almost 20 per cent to £789 million, according to the Measuring Music report.

Ed Sheeran found himself at No.1 in the States

There was also an increase in publishing and studio revenues and a 57 per cent increase in UK music exports, which accounts for £2.2 billion. Recently Ed Sheeran and Sam Smith became the first British artists to occupy the top two spots in the American album charts since Eric Clapton and Sting had Unplugged and Ten Summoner's Tales in the chart over two decades ago. .

Continue reading: Bearded Kids In The Pub (Music Industry) Contributed £3.8 Billion To UK Economy

Sam Smith's reign over the U.K. music scene continues as his debut studio album 'In The Lonely Hour,' which features the hit tracks 'Money on My Mind' and 'Stay With Me,' is No.1 on the U.K. album chart for the fourth non-consecutive week.

Sam Smith's 'In The Lonely Hour' is No.1 on the U.K. Album Charts

The British singer, who recently performed at the 2014 MTV VMA Awards, took to Twitter to thank his global fan base for their support. "Thank you all so much. To say I'm happy is the biggest understatement of all time. I love you," he tweeted.

Continue reading: Sam Smith's 'In The Lonely Hour' Continues To Reign No.1 On U.K. Album Chart

British singer Sam Smith has took the music industry by storm in 2014 and garnered a global fan base after the release of his first album, 'In the Lonely Hour' (released May 26th), which included the hit singles, 'Money on My Mind' and 'Stay With Me.'

Sam Smith doesn't want his sexuality to be the focus of his career

The 22 year-old star, who is openly gay, achieved all this mainstream success without generating too much attention towards his sexuality, and this may have been a deliberate decision as he recently admitted that he doesn't want to become some sort of "spokesperson."

Continue reading: Sam Smith Is Openly Gay But He Does Not Want To Become "A Spokesperson"

The 2014 MTV Video Music Awards were held at The Forum in California last night (Sunday 24th August). The great and the good from music industry turned out en masse to receive awards and celebrate their achievements over the past year.

Nicki Minaj's dress caused some problems during her performance.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Addresses Wardrobe Malfunction - "Nipple Didn't Come Out To Play"

Continue reading: MTV Video Music Awards 2014 - Check Out The Red Carpet Pics! [Pictures]

The line-up for MTV's VMAs has been announced, and now it's time to take bets as to whether this year will serve as any less controversial than last year, following the infamous 'Miley-gate' incident. The performing artists include Jessie J, Nicki Minaj, Ariana Grande Usher, 5 Seconds of Summer, Maroon 5, Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Sam Smith.

Nicky Minaj is to sing with Ariana Grande and Jessie J for the opeing act of the VMAs

Last year's MTV Video Music Awards sparked off some controversy due to Miley Cyrus' 'seductive' twerking on the then married Robin Thicke while wearing only her underwear and making provocative gestures with a giant foam finger. Then again, controversy is big money these days so if anything, the draw of this year's VMAs is seeing if they will top last year's antics. 

Continue reading: The MTV Video Music Awards Line-Up Has Been Announced

British singer Sam Smith will soon be heading to the biggest gig of his life as he has been confirmed as one of the performers who will take to the stage at the MTV Video Music Awards in California on Sunday night (Aug 24th).

Smith will be making is US awards show debut next Sunday (Aug 24th)

The television network announced on Tuesday (Aug 19th) that the British singer, who will be making his US awards ceremony debut, will be the final performer of the night, alongside Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, 5 Seconds of Summer, Maroon 5, Beyoncé, Iggy Azalea, Usher and Nicki Minaj.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Announced As Performer At The 2014 MTV VMAs

Besides a promising musician, Sam Smith’s debut record has also shown him to be a savvy businessman – but not enough. In an effort to boost US sales and get the album to Number 1 on the Billboard 200, Smith’s management kept In The Lonely Hour off Spotify. The album did well, selling 166,000 copies in its first week, but ultimately fell short of Lana Del Rey’s sophomore effort Ultraviolence. The sultry pop record sold 182,000 units for Capitol Records, making it the biggest (bigger) debut of Lana’s career.

Despite Smith's Spotify gamble, this round went to Lana.

Still, it wasn’t a bad week for Smith. Besides the respectable debut of In The Lonely Hour,  the singer-songwriter also discovered a lost connection recently. The saga of Smith’s relation to Lily Allen and her brother, Game of Thrones actor Alfie Allen unfolded over Twitter, when Smith tweeted at the Sheezus hitmaker that, according to his parents, they were third cousins. To his surprise, Lily quickly responded, confirming his suspicion.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Beaten By Lana Del Rey To Billboard No.1

Apple’s iTunes Festival 2014 isn’t until September, but there are already some awesome performers lined up. Pharrell Williams, Kylie Minogue and Maroon 5 are all a part of  this year’s lineup, which was announced Monday, July 21.

Pharrell will cap off a successful year with a headlining gig at iTunes Festival.

Other big names to grace the Roundhouse stage in Camden include old-school favorites, as well as a bunch of newcomers - David Guetta, Sam Smith, Blondie, Beck and Kasabian are all on the list of performers. The full lineup this year includes over 60 acts, set to perform at Roundhouse over a full month. As usual, the tech-centric event will be filmed and streamed live by Apple, with fans able to watch on their computers, iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices, or on their televisions via the company's Apple TV set-top box. Looking after its international customers, the company has promised to make the livestream available in over 100 countries. This year, the festivities will be broadcast through the iTunes store on iOS devices, rather than through a dedicated app.

Continue reading: Pharrell, Kylie, Maroon 5 And A Bunch Of Newcommers Announced For ITunes Festival 2014

The BBC’s 1Xtra chart for black and urban music, the 1XtraPower List, turns out to be remarkably, embarrassingly white. The list of the “most influential artists” has been referred to as “the saddest list in history” after Ed Sheeran took the top spot, followed by Disclosure in second. The first Black artist to make the bizarre list was Tinie Tempah, followed by white, middle class singer Sam Smith (who grew up I a small town in East Herthfordshire) in fourth place. The list, which was allegedly compiled by “industry experts” continues in the same vein, with Katie B and Jessie J also making an appearance, the former in the Top 10.

Ed Sheeran topped the bizarre list.

The BBC told The Independent the list was chosen on the artists' 'quality of music' and 'impact across the wider industry', and was 'not about the colour of someone's skin'.

Continue reading: BBC Faces Backlash After Whitewashed 1XtraPowerList Names Ed Sheeran Most Influential In Black And Urban Music

Sam Smith has made his many fans tear up with a cover of Whitney Houston's timeless hit, 'How Will I Know.' The 22 year-old British soul singer performed his take on the '80s disco classic at Sirius XM's studio and then shared the video with the world. "Me covering 'How Will I know' by Whitney Houston. I hope you like it x" he tweeted as he linked to the clip.

Smith's cover naturally goes down the slow and sad route and is accompanied by downbeat piano and guitar. The 'Stay With Me' singer keeps his eyes closed throughout his passionate performance - all that's missing is the headphone grab.

The Houston cover has attracted a great deal of praise online from Sam Smith and Whitney fans alike who feel that the version has done the original justice but has added some interesting new nuances.

Continue reading: Is Sam Smith's Whitney Houston Cover Tear-Jerking Or Tedious?

Happy Bonnaroo weekend! The Tennessee-based arts and music festival effectively kicked off the season on Friday. Per USA Today’s recap, he weather was appropriately mild and the rain that threatened for the entire day never came through, letting crowds enjoy the show free from sweltering heat and soaking rain – a good thing, considering that the lineup, including the likes of Phoenix, CVRCHES, Vampire Weekend and Neutral Milk Hotel were not to be missed. And then there were the headliners.

CHVRCHES were just one of the bands playing Bonnaroo Friday.

Kanye West kicked off his set late at night on Friday. As usual, West’s performance was on point, but due to the large crowd and somewhat poor technical execution, it was difficult for many fans to connect. A number of the people, who were too far from the stage, reportedly booed the rapper.

Continue reading: Sam Smith, Janelle Monae - The Unexpected Gems Of Bonnaroo Day 1

Sam Smith must feel on top of the world after his album, In The Lonely Hour, not only struck number one in the UK charts yesterday but was also revealed to be the year's fastest-selling debut of 2014 so far.

In The Lonely Hour has sold an impressive 101,000 copies over the last seven days and has managed to throw the alt rock titans Coldplay and their album Ghost Stories from the number one position. The news comes the week after Smith scored a number one single with his track 'Stay With Me.'

In The Lonely Hour may be the fastest-selling debut but it is also admirably the year's third quickest seller behind Ghost Stories and Paolo Nutini's Caustic Love.

Continue reading: Sam Smith's Debut Is 2014's Speediest Seller With No.1 Triumph

Singer songwriter Sam Smith’s upcoming LP The Lonely Hour is likely to be one of 2014’s breakout debuts, not least because of how personal it is to Smith himself. The 22-year-old musician recently talked to The Fader about his love life and the real life events that inspire the music.

Smith feels like he never had a typical laid back childhood

In a move reminiscent of Taylor Swift, Smith wrote the album in the name of unrequited love: "'In the Lonely Hour' is about a guy that I fell in love with last year, and he didn’t love me back," Smith explains. He says that writing and promoting the album has provided him with some much needed closure.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Opens Up About Sexuality, Unrequited Love And The Music That Follows

Sam Smith is one of music's most talented young stars, and he does not shy away from who he is while being in the spotlight.

The 22 year-old Brit is openly gay, but it was only in a recent interview with Fader that he spoke candidly about dealing with his sexuality for the first time.

Smith also revealed, for quite a long time he's been deeply in love with a man who never loved him back.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Speaks Candidly About Being Gay, And A Man Who Didn't Love Him Back

Sam Smith is having a remarkable time of it. He’s top of the charts, winner of Critics Choice award at the BRITs and was named the Sound of 2014 by the BBC. And now he’s set to break advertising history by singing live in a ground-breaking  three-and-a-half minute ad break during Alan Carr: Chatty Man on Channel 4 at around 10.45pm on Friday 30 May.

Sam Smith is set to make advertising history

"It's incredible to be part of a world first. Stay with Me being broadcast live to the nation will be a very special moment for me," said Smith. Google UK's Stephen Rosenthal said: "Through Google Play Music, we're looking to shake up the way music lovers connect with the bands and tracks they love. What better way to show our ambition than lay on this world first with Sam Smith, one of the hottest acts on the planet today."

Continue reading: Sam Smith To Make Marketing History With First Live Advert

Sam Smith might be a picture of confidence as he lights up stages across Europe and collaborates with some of the world’s biggest stars, but, ahead of the release of his debut album, In The Lonely Hour, the 22-year-old has revealed just how nervous he’s really feeling.

Sam Smith has been honest - and he's really nervous

"If I'm honest, I'm completely cacking myself," he laughed as he opened up to Marvin Humes and Kat Shoob on the Vodafone Big Top 40 chart show. "It's scary! I've just been in London for the past few days and seen some of the posters up on the Tube and stuff. It's all real now. I've been envisaging this moment for a long time, so it's scary but it's also very exciting."

Continue reading: Sam Smith Is Nervous About Album Release - "I'm Completely Cacking Myself"

Last year, the bookies had London Grammar as the 6/4 massive favourites to win the Mercury Music Prize, even before the nominations had been announced. And so it raised a few eyebrows when the London group's album If You Wait was left off the shortlist completely.

The band failed to hide their obvious disappointment when we quizzed them on the snub at Festival No.6.

Continue reading: After Mercury Snub, London Grammar Score Ivor Novello Nomination

Sam Smith is fast becoming one of the most recognised names in the music biz, particularly after his successes at last week's Brit Awards and Sunday's news that he is top of the UK singles chart. In October 2012 he featured on the Disclosure single 'Latch', which catapulted both Sam and the now hugely successful electronic music duo, into the limelight. The catchy tune reached number eleven in the UK charts and paved the way for Sam’s next single, "La La La", which he co-released with British DJ and songwriter, Naughty Boy. "La La La" went on to secure the UK charts number one spot in May 2013, which can definitely be held as a contributing factor towards his nomination for the 2014 BRIT Critics’ Choice Award as well as his achievement topping the BBC Sound of 2014 Poll.

 Sam Smith has just won his first BRIT award

On Wednesday night, Sam went on to win his first BRIT award and it looks like this is just the beginning of the budding musicians career. But who is Sam Smith? Since he appeared on the scene back in 2012 his name has been everywhere but some of us are still none the wiser about who the man behind the voice really is.

Continue reading: Who Is BRIT Awards Winner Sam Smith?

Sam Smith is a name we are hearing more and more of recently, and it is also a name that we will be hearing even more than we are already, as his star keeps on rising and rising. In his latest brush with success, Smith has been named as the BBC Sound Of 2014 by the broadcasting company, which marks the best new artist of the upcoming year.

Sam Smith's stock is rising fast

Having tasted considerable success in 2012 and 2013 with collaborative singles from Disclosure and Naughty Boy, with the songs 'Latch' and 'La La La' both becoming big tracks last year, Smith is ready to make a name for himself, by himself, and his recognition by the BBC is the latest indication that more success is on the horizon.

Continue reading: Sam Smith Picked As BBC Sound Of 2014

Sam Smith has had a year to remember in 2013, but this year of success may very well be only the start of his rise to musical stardom as his considerable talents continue to get noticed. His latest bit of recognition came last night (11 Dec.) when he was chosen as The Brits 2014 Critics' Choice, an honour that has predicted the success of Adele, Emeli Sandé, Ellie Goulding and Tom Odell in the past.

Smith is continuing his rise to the top with his Brits win

"It means the world to me, it's the only award i really care about. I've watched the BRITs religiously every single year," he said in a statement released on the Brits' website. "I'm such a massive fan of female singers and some of the females who have won this award have been my biggest inspirations, so to even be nominated means a lot to me, a lot."

Continue reading: Sam Smith Named Winner Of Brits 2014 Critics' Choice

It's that time of year again, time for the BBC to poll who it thinks we will all be listening to this time next year. You might be familiar with some of the names, others you might not be so knowledgable about, but they are all names that the broadcasting house has earmarked for success over the next twelve months.

Sam Smith is one of the favourites for the contest

In the past, victors have included Adele, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and last year's winners, Haim, and once again the list is predominantly pop-based, but there are some notable exceptions. Soloists such as Ella Eyre and Sam Smith appear on the list, having already found notable fame for their guest appearances on other artists' tracks. 21-year-old Smith appeared on Naughty Boy's chart-topper 'La La La' and Disclosure's 'Latch,' whilst Eyre found success as a featured vocalist on Rudimental's hit 'Waiting All Night.'

Continue reading: BBC Unveil The 'Sounds Of 2014' Longlist