Sam Smith reflects on 10 years since debut album In the Lonely Hour ahead of BBC Proms performance
Sam Smith reflects on 10 years since In The Lonely Hour ahead of BBC Proms performance. (Stephanie Sian Smith)
Ahead of their hotly anticipated performance at BBC Proms tonight (2 August), Sam Smith has reflected on the impact and importance of their debut album, In the Lonely Hour.
Released back in May 2014, In the Lonely Hour saw British music legend Sam Smith scale the heights of fame, earning them four Grammy Awards.
A decade later, and the superstar has re-released the record with a brand new version of UK top three single “I’m Not The Only One” featuring Smith’s friend and “No One” singer Alicia Keys.
Sam Smith will celebrate the ten-year anniversary and re-release with a show-stopping performance at the Royal Albert Hall on 2 August as part of classical music festival, BBC Proms.
Speaking to BBC’s Timmy Fisher, the “Stay With Me” singer reflected on the album’s personal legacy, how they have grown in the years since its release, and teased what to expect from their BBC Proms show later.
It’s been 10 years since the release of In the Lonely Hour. What does that album mean to you, and how has that changed?
In the Lonely Hour will always be my first declaration in music and I will always be proud of that. I listen back to the album now and it feels like looking back at old photos, a mix of emotions. But I love the record and I still love singing these songs so much.
This album was written about a period of unrequited love in my life. It’s a real life coming-of-age story, I was 22 when it was released and even younger when I wrote many of the songs, I was discovering myself in so many ways.
How do you see that album compared to those other tracks you’ll be performing tonight from later in your career?
Being at the Proms for the first time feels like a wonderful opportunity to celebrate my British musical heritage. The newer songs I’m performing link into this period, they’ve travelled with me since childhood.
My dad would take me to go and see jazz artists in London, from 12-years-old, and we’d sit and watch these incredible singers and songwriters, really masters of their craft. I used to go and see Clare Teal in tiny Cambridge clubs. This performance is a celebration of my formative musical experiences.
How have you personally grown since its release?
I’ve grown up in so many ways. I’ve experienced requited love now. I have relationship experience. But my songwriting is still as honest and confessional as ever. I’m still as vulnerable when I step into the studio, but now I know how to take risks with songwriting in a way I couldn’t have when I started.
How will you prepare for this performance, and will that involve anything different to your normal pre-concert routine?
I’m putting in extra rehearsal hours, both with my pianist and with the orchestra – that’s so important for creating synergy with the musicians on the night. But I don’t want to ruin the imperfections: that’s what makes a performance so beautiful.
One of my favourite performances is Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall performing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. Her voice cracks in the opening bars, but that means you get to hear humanity, how fragile a song and performance can be.
What was your perception of the Proms, and has that changed at all since becoming involved in this concert?
The Proms has always been, as long as I can remember, an amazing annual celebration of music. It’s something all musicians aspire to be a part of – not just a celebration of classical music, but of all kinds of music. I’m so honoured to be a part of that, to get the opportunity to show people that my roots come from jazz, musical theatre, classical – not just pop radio music.
What does it mean to perform in your own Prom?
It means the world to me: I never thought l’d get to do this at my age at this stage in my career. I’m just so excited to be at home, to be on stage surrounded by family and friends.
For me, the aim is to have fun. It’s important to thank the people who shaped me through song, and to get to sing my dad’s favourites too.
Prom 18: Sam Smith will be broadcast live on Radio 3 and on BBC Sounds. It will be on TV and BBC iPlayer later in the season.
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