Sam Smith on Beyonce, barn dances and getting the best out of your barman

At his first London gig as a headliner, Sam Smith felt the need to apologise. Before he launched into raw renditions of his tracks with Disclosure and Naughty Boy, as well as his new solo material, he commiserated with the top tier of the Shepherd's Bush Empire. "I've got to admit, I sat there once to watch Lily Allen and I thought I was going to die" Smith explained. "I've left chocolates for you all because it's a bit of a shit seat." The confectionery we can't confirm but the charm we can certainly vouch for: the bashful 22 year old from Hertfordshire makes for a very unlikely superstar.

Casually slumped on an apricot booth in a suite of London's Café Royal Hotel weeks later, Smith looked exhausted. This may not come as a surprise: after winning the Brit Awards' Critics Choice and the BBC's Sound Of 2014, he has performed on both Jimmy Fallon and Saturday Night Live, as well as scored a number one with "Money On My Mind". You'd be forgiven for thinking his hotly anticipated debut album, In the Lonely Hour, had already gone platinum. Cruising riffs with his live-wire falsetto, the ten track record is stuffed with silky arrangements, spurned tenderness and that all important, diva-approved melisma. To mark the album's debut this week GQ talked to Smith about singing on haystacks, the idol he doesn't want to meet and why disco needs to stop.

GQ: What would you say is your worst gig of all time?
Sam Smith: Oh gosh, I've had loads. I played at this barn dance once when I was younger, my mum made me - it was in my village. I had to sing on this stage on top of a haystack and I had to sing backing tracks for an hour and a half whilst everyone was pissed. I was like 13, I didn't know the words: it was awful.

What do men wear in nightclubs that they really shouldn't?

I hate it when guys wear really tight t-shirts. It's just so horrible, especially when you can see their bellies.

What's the best recent clothes purchase?
I bought a great orange winter coat - actually, no, my best purchase recently was a pair of blue Calvin Klein shoes. They're bright blue suede and they're amazing.

In GQ Style you talked about Shu Uemura gel being the secret to your grooming regime. But what's been your worst ever haircut?
Oh gosh, I dyed my hair red when I was in year 11 with that L'Oreal Live stuff. It was like plumy purple - it was horrific. I looked awful, I don't know what I was thinking!

You are a massive Beyoncé fan - what are you looking forward to On The Run Tour with Jay Z?
I'm just intrigued to see how it's going to work out because their music is just so different. I'm excited though - I hope she does "Jealous" from the new album, it's my favourite song.

Have you got an opinion on the Solange elevator incident?
No, definitely not. I just think that we haven't seen any of their business ever and I think that it's a bit more of a shock.  We're seeing something from behind closed doors which they don't want us to see and which we shouldn't be seeing to be quite honest.

You were working in a bar when you recorded "Latch" with Disclosure. What's a tip for getting the best out of their barman?
Firstly, never order a cocktail ever from the bar I was in ever! [laughs] Definitely just get a nice, cold, French Sauvignon Blanc.

You've been very open about the fact that In The Lonely Hour  is about unrequited love - what's your best cure for heartache?
Fried chicken! No my best cure for heartache is the studio. Going into the studio and writing music about it - that's what helped me the most. I'll never be over my heartache. It sounds depressing but I think when you truly love someone you'll never stop loving them.

What's been your biggest style mistake?
I wore a coat to the Mobos which I regret wearing. It was fluffy and white and I looked like a teddy bear. 

What musical trend needs to stop right now?

Disco needs to stop. I like disco, I liked it when it came out - like last year with "Get Lucky" but now everyone seems to be doing it and it's way too much.

What TV do you never miss?

Modern Family. I just think the Cam [Eric Stonestreet] is the best thing I've ever seen in my entire life.

What skill should ever man have?
The ability to stay faithful.

Where is the strangest place you've heard a Sam Smith track?
I was once sitting on a tube and someone was playing my song so loudly through their ear phones next to me. I just stayed silent and chuckled to myself.


What's been a purchase on tour you've bought and then instantly regretted?
I bought a pair of shoes from Giuseppe Zanotti. They were really expensive and I only wore them once and now they're muddy and I can't clean them. Something at a festival killed them.

Can you recommend a good book?

Twilight [laughs]. Harry Potter - there you go, I've read them all!

When were you last starstruck?

Yesterday I met Robyn. She was really cool. We met at a German TV Show.

Which lyric are you most proud of writing?
"I'd never ask you cause deep down I'm certain I'd know what you'd say / You'd say I'm sorry believe me I love you but not in that way". Those lyrics for me explain so plainly that whole feeling of loving someone and them loving you but not in the way that you want them to. It's complex in its simplicity. 

Which band would you like to see reform?
Destiny's Child.

What did you think of the come back single "Nuclear"?
Oh no, I wasn't so keen on that - it wasn't a "Bug a Boo" was it?

What was the best record in your parent's collection?

"September: by Earth Wind and Fire.

What's a Sam Smith groupie like?
Loving, kind and quite a lot of them paint pictures of me. 

What's the strangest gift you've ever received from a fan?
I received a mug the other week that had "Beyoncé's bath water" written on it  - she definitely knew I liked Beyoncé.

Have you met Beyoncé?
No and I don't want to meet her because I believe that some idols should remain up there. If you meet everyone you're inspired by you'll have no one to look up to.

What do people get wrong about you?

That I'm sad all the time. People think that the album's going to be really depressing from the title but actually I'm quite a happy person.

What's the most expensive thing you've currently wearing?
My Armani jacket - it's black and long and feels like a cat. I was given it for the Grammy's.

Have you ever fired a gun?
No, I'm too afraid of dislocating my shoulder.

Who is your best-dressed British man?

It's got to be Tinie Tempah. He's got serious swag.

What's the worst job you've ever done?
Cleaned toilets in a bar in St Paul's. I was 18 and it only ended two years ago!

What's the worst thing a critic has ever said about you?
There is one journalist that's said quite a lot about me - he said it's a joke that I won the BBC's Sound Of 2014 poll. It's not a joke, I really did win it! I never spoke to him or anything because you're always going to have people that don't like what you do. He just doesn't understand the art that I'm trying to make.

What's your hangover cure?


I've just got into Bloody Mary's but it has to be a tuna Subway.

What's the best thing you can cook?

A chicken stuffed with apricot cheese wrapped in bacon with dauphinoise potatoes.

Have you ever seen a dead body?

Yes, my grandpa. And everybody said he looked like me when he was dead! Which was really weird as I was three years old.

When was the last time you threw a punch?


I've never thrown a punch in my life but I got hit once in Malia.

Describe the way you dance.
Like Beyoncé.

How would you like to be remembered?

Like Beyoncé! I'm joking: I'd like to be remembered as a ray of sunshine.

In the Lonely Hour is available on iTunes now.

Read more from Sam Smith in the spring/summer issue of GQ Style, on sale now priced £6.

Follow Alice Howarth on Twitter @insideofaday