Sam Smith

"Not Here To Make Friends," which dropped over the weekend, is sure getting a lot of homophobic and fatphobic hate. Is it because Smith is nonbinary?

Another applauded them for championing [body positivity](https://twitter.com/HoveyMax/status/1619871318840852481) within the LGBTQ+ community. [Addiction counselingSafe Haven Health](https://go.linkby.com/ASONUJTG) [according to](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11691593/Sam-Smiths-raunchy-music-video-sparks-controversy-Critics-slam-hyper-sexualised-dancing.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=social-twitter_mailonline) the Daily Mail. Internet personality Oli London, who is known for pushing anti-trans messaging, went as far as to call the video “ [monstrous](https://twitter.com/OliLondonTV/status/1619424893938044928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1619424893938044928%7Ctwgr%5Eb715f88b3d3bb6324c949c73fc9afce9beb84b84%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.tmz.com%2F2023%2F01%2F29%2Fsam-smith-nsfw-music-video-debate-lgbtq-age-restrictions%2F)” on Twitter. [defense](https://twitter.com/PopCrave/status/1620096252301156356?s=20&t=VWIqa497GGbJGBzJk6TALg) online, saying that the only reason they’re getting so much hate is because of their gender identity and decision to more fully embrace their [femininity](https://twitter.com/oceansjonas/status/1619731377536258050?s=20&t=En8pajrGHdhcocN6kXleag). [age restrictions](https://www.tmz.com/2023/01/29/sam-smith-nsfw-music-video-debate-lgbtq-age-restrictions/) on platforms like YouTube have even been resurrected, with apparent concerns that 5-year-olds (and teens!

The burlesque-inspired music video for “I'm Not Here to Make Friends” has some conservatives clutching their pearls.

It’s called being the belle of the ball, look it up! Directed by Tanu Muino, the burlesque-inspired “I’m Not Here To Make Friends” video was filmed within King Henry VIII’s Hampton Court Palace castle. [Unholy](https://www.them.us/story/kim-petras-sam-smith-unholy-billboard-charts)” hitmaker released their fourth studio album, “Gloria.” That same day, Smith also treated fans to a [new music video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYjHhqLSiN4) for their single “I’m Not Here To Make Friends.”

Sam Smith was given an apology from Richard Madeley after the presenter used the wrong pronouns when talking about the singer on 'GMB'.

[In a four-star review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/album/sam-smith-gloria-review-the-most-vital-work-of-their-career-3387484), NME’s Nick Levine described ‘Gloria’ as “the most surprising, satisfying and vital work of [Smith’s] career”, and declared that the singer “has never sounded better because they’ve never been more themselves”. [pronouns they/them since 2019](https://www.nme.com/news/music/sam-smith-asks-to-be-referred-to-as-they-instead-of-he-after-coming-out-as-gender-neutral-2547833) after revealing that they were gender neutral. “My family can communicate with me; they always did, but they communicate with me now in an even better way. And in my personal life, there’s not one negative. Referencing a clip in the music video, Madeley said: “A shot of him, Sam.” And it was really hard.”

Despite its flaws, 'Gloria' serves as a colorful new chapter in Sam Smith's ongoing personal and artistic evolution. Read our review.

The acoustic “How to Cry” details the end of an emotionally unsatisfying relationship with a refreshing amount of sympathy toward the other party, while the R&B-infused “Six Shots” finds Smith finally getting down and dirty instead of simply tip-toeing around sexual subject matter like so many other tracks on Gloria. Similarly, the Calvin Harris-produced “I’m Not Here to Make Friends,” a disco-influenced dance cut, ranks as one of Smith’s most joyful vocal performances to date. While the opening track, “Love Me More,” is reminiscent of the type of conventional material that might have handily won Smith multiple Grammys just a few years ago, the rest of Gloria serves as a colorful new chapter in the singer’s ongoing personal and artistic evolution.

"Gloria" is projected to debut at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.

[Ava Max](https://www.billboard.com/artist/ava-max/) is heading for a No. [Academy Award nominations](https://www.billboard.com/music/awards/oscars-nominations-2023-complete-list-1235204199/), the King of Rock & Roll is making a move on the U.K. [Uriah Heep](https://www.billboard.com/artist/uriah-heep/) (Chaos & Colour at No. rapper [Lil Yachty](https://www.billboard.com/artist/lil-yachty/) (Let’s Start Here at No. 1 on the Official U.K. [Elvis Presley](https://www.billboard.com/artist/elvis-presley/)’s Elv1s – 30 Number 1 Hits (RCA) lifts 23-20 on the chart blast, and Elvis On Tour (Sony Music CG), a six-CD, one-Blu-ray box set capturing performances from Elvis’ 1972 North America tour, is set to bow at No. 1 hit single](https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/sam-smith-gloria-interview-1235204959/) “Unholy,” a collaboration with Kim Petras, Gloria leads the [Official Chart Update](https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart-update/). Fragments is set to become Dylan’s 42nd appearance in the U.K. 10 in the U.K. [Bob Dylan](https://www.billboard.com/artist/bob-dylan/) is on track for a No. Albums Chart, following the Brit’s previous leaders In The Lonely Hour (from 2014) and The Thrill Of It All (2017). It’s the followup to 2020’s Love Goes, which peaked at No.

Sam Smith's latest music video has drawn controversy for the kind of in-your-face, sex- and body-positive sensibility that's become commonplace in modern music. The criticism surrounding the pop singer's effort reeks of homophobia, writes Louis Chilton.

Compared to many of their pop contemporaries, Smith is thoroughly unremarkable in their willingness to place sex front and centre. [a three-star review of their latest album, Gloria](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/sam-smith-gloria-review-b2269894.html), Helen Brown describes Smith’s singing as the “aural equivalent of watching a lava lamp” – and she’s right. While Smith is currently facing the sharp end of this double standard, it would be absurd to act as if they are some kind of radical button-pusher. When the act of rebellion has been washed clean, made sturdy by history and the heft of consensus. Musicians should not be forced to tailor their output to the sexless whims of the young. In one of the more extreme reactions, ex-Brexit Party MEP Alex Phillips went on Good Morning Britain and likened the video to porn, linking its content to a wider culture of sexual assaults and “relationships falling apart”. And yet, in poured the outrage, with detractors branding the content “pornographic” and calling for an age restriction to be placed on the video. Sam Smith’s latest music video has drawn controversy for the kind of in-your-face, sex- and body-positive sensibility that’s become commonplace in modern music. The mere suggestion of sexuality does not equate to porn, nor is such a suggestion inherently unsuitable for children. “I’m Not Here to Make Friends” has pretty innocuous lyrics – tamely horny lines about looking to pull in a nightclub. It’s a raunchy, unabashed display of sexuality. It’s an accusation that reeks of homophobia.

Sam Smith released their new album, Gloria, on Friday, and dropped a new music video. It's for the song “I'm Not Here To Make Friends.”.

Just ‘Relax’ for the TikTok generation. Saw the Sam Smith video. HELLO HOMOPHOBIA & TRANSPHOBIA! [January 29, 2023] [January 27, 2023] that’s what it comes down to [January 30, 2023] One commentator said it represented a shift that is “not good for society”. Sam Smith, this is not art. One British broadcaster, Dominique Samuels, led the chorus of disapproval. [January 28, 2023] This is monstrous!