THE EVOLUTION OF SAM SMITH

Their music, style, weight and sexuality have all undergone a transformation over the years-and now it's about acceptance  

- JANICE BECKETT-MSIZA

WHEN the world first got to know Sam Smith it was all multi-octave melancholy and heartbreaking ballads. Tearjerkers like Stay With Me and Lay Me Down cemented the singer as a fresh-faced talent to pay attention to.

Much has changed for Sam since then, but not the fact that people are paying attention. At the recent Grammy Awards, Sam, who uses the pronouns they/them, put on a headline-grabbing performance with transgender German artist Kim Petras for their track Unholy. It signaled a marked difference from the soulful crooner who once had many a brokenhearted singleton singing along to their tracks.

Sam, clad in red satin, Lycra and high heels with a top hat featuring devil horns, put on a raunchy display that involved cages, whips and grinding against Kim.

This new persona seems to be a continuation of the one seen in the video of I’m Not Here to Make Friends, their latest single. In the video Sam is scantily clad in a corset and nipple tassels, makes lascivious tongue thrusts and does suggestive groin grinds alongside dancers in BDSM outfits. It’s a far cry from the person who’s been touchy about their weight for most of their lives.

BODY issues have defined Sam’s life from a young age. 

The 30-year-old once told Rolling Stone magazine that they preferred food to sex, but the joke hid plenty of heartache.

They had liposuction at age 12, Sam told actress Jameela Jamil in a YouTube chat. Excess estrogen caused breasts to develop, which led to them being bullied at school.