Sam Smith has announced that they are currently working on a pop-driven album, which will be released in 2020. The pop-driven album will be a follow-up to their 2017 album, ‘The Thrill Of It All’, which will arrive next year.
In a new interview with the ‘Zach Sang Show‘, Smith expressed excitement about their upcoming record, which will land sometime in 2020. The singer also confirmed that their newest offering will feature less ballads and more pop-driven tracks, like in the spirit of recent singles ‘How Do You Sleep?‘ and ‘Dancing With A Stranger’, featuring Normani.
Speaking to Sang, Smith said: “I feel like I have recently shown a side of me which I normally keep to myself or for my family and friends. I showed everyone it and everyone loved it. It’s almost given me permission to kinda do what I’ve always dreamed of doing but I was always scared to do, which is pop music.”
They added that the new songs will feature full-blown pop production, moving away from their previous “acoustic-y, soulful version of pop music. It’s made me feel really good and happy,” says Smith.
The singer also revealed that they were inspired to write new music following a 2018 collaboration with Calvin Harris, ‘Promises’. Smith said: “I just naturally started getting back into the studio and started to write. I caught this wind and started riding this wave and I haven’t stopped writing since.”
Smith’s lastest album ‘The Thrill Of It All’ received a four-star review from NME’s Nick Levine who wrote that the “majestic” record was an “an undeniably accomplished album that will, deservedly, shift a helluva lot of copies.”
The announcement comes after Smith recently teamed up with Renée Zellweger for a duet of Judy Garland’s ‘Get Happy’ for the cinema icon’s new biopic, ‘Judy‘.
The news of their latest album, comes after Smith asked fans to refer to the singer as “they” and not “he” after they come out as non-binary. The ‘Writing’s On The Wall’ singer reportedly prefers that people now use gender-neutral pronouns such as they/them instead of him.
Smith took to Instagram to confirm the news, they said: “Today is a good day so here goes. I’ve decided I am changing my pronouns to THEY/THEM ❤ after a lifetime of being at war with my gender I’ve decided to embrace myself for who I am, inside and out.
“I’m so excited and privileged to be surrounded by people that support me in this decision but I’ve been very nervous about announcing this because I care too much about what people think but fuck it! I understand there will be many mistakes and mis gendering but all I ask is you please please try. I hope you can see me like I see myself now. Thank you.”
They added: “P.S. I am at no stage just yet to eloquently speak at length about what it means to be non binary but I can’t wait for the day that I am. So for now I just want to be VISIBLE and open. If you have questions and are wondering what this all means I’ll try my best to explain but I have also tagged below the human beings who are fighting the good fight everyday.”
They concluded, “These are activists and leaders of the non binary/trans community that have helped me and given me so much clarity and understanding. Love you all. I’m scared shitless, but feeling super free right now. Be kind.”
