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Sam Smith

Sam Smith arrived almost fully formed: after singing on Disclosure's "Latch" and Naughty Boy's "La La La," the London vocalist stepped out alone and won four Grammys, including Best New Artist, on the strength of one debut album. Their gift is a big, open-hearted soul voice turned toward loneliness and longing — pop ballads built around a voice that sounds like it's confessing something directly to you. Later records have loosened up, moving from heartbreak toward joy and self-acceptance without losing that core of feeling.

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In the Lonely Hour (2014). It's the album that made them, and "Stay with Me" remains the clearest showcase for that voice — a gospel-tinged plea that starts intimate and swells into something enormous. "I'm Not the Only One" and "Lay Me Down" show the same knack for turning private hurt into songs a whole room can sing.

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Biography

Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on electronic music duo Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch", which peaked at No. 11 on the UK singles chart. The following year, they featured on record producer Naughty Boy's single "La La La", which became a number one single in the UK.

Smith's debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour (2014), was released by Capitol Records UK and debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart. The album's lead single, "Lay Me Down", was released prior to "La La La". The album's second single, "Money on My Mind", became their second number one single in the UK. Its third single, "Stay with Me", was internationally successful, reaching number one in the UK and number two on the US Billboard Hot 100, while subsequent singles "I'm Not the Only One" and "Like I Can" reached the top ten in the UK. The album won four awards at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards, including Best Pop Vocal Album, Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

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