Sam Smith addresses ‘hysteria’ over BBC Proms appearance and teases ‘surprise’ for viewers
Sam Smith will be celebrating the ten year anniversary of their debut album at the BBC Proms. (Getty)
Singer Sam Smith has promised not to wear a thong during their upcoming BBC Proms performance.
Speaking to Nick Grimshaw and Annie Mac on BBC Sounds’ Sidetracked, Smith said: “Everyone needs to relax, I’m not going to get my clothes off.”
Smith has previously courted controversy after performing in a thong and fishnet stockings, and caused a stir last year when they dressed in a red-and-black, devil-horned latex outfits to perform Unholy with Kim Petras. Ofcom received 106 complaints following their Brit Award performance, with people dubbing the singer’s performance inappropriate.
When Grimshaw mentioned that there was “tabloid hysteria” over Smith being announced as a headline act at the Proms, the star replied: “Because, can you imagine if I turned up in a thong at the Proms?”
Annie Mac suggested Smith should wear bondage gear to the gig but the “Writing’s on the Wall” star said there was “a time and a place” for that.
Smith added that they will be performing their debut album which reached number one when it was released in 2014.
“In the first half, I’m going to celebrate [10 years of] In The Lonely Hour… and the second half is a little surprise. I’m so excited. I love the Proms, it’s great,” they said.
“It’s an opportunity for me to remind people of my love of music, especially British music, and where I’ve come from. I want to show people a little bit of where I come from musically.”
Radio 3 director Sam Jackson reassured BBC Proms viewers about the performance, following the announcement. “I think what you’ll see is a performance that is entirely appropriate for the Proms and entirely appropriate for the audience in attendance,” he said.
Smith will be accompanied by an orchestral arrangement and will be their only performance in the UK this year, according to Jackson. “This is very much a Prom, it’s not Sam Smith at the Royal Albert Hall. The look and feel will be entirely appropriate for that festival.”
Smith will be performing at the BBC Proms on 2 August.
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