Sam Smith releases moving song with legendary trans singer Beverly Glenn-Copeland
Beverly Glenn-Copeland and Sam Smith’s new song ‘Ever New’ features on trans benefit album Transa. (Eleanor Petry)
“Unholy” hitmaker Sam Smith has teamed up with trans folk icon Beverly Glenn-Copeland for a remake of the latter’s “Ever New” from his seminal 1986 album, Keyboard Fantasies.
The collaboration is the final track on the upcoming 46-song Transa album, which has been assembled by the Aids and HIV relief charity organisation Red Hot in aid of trans and non-binary awareness.
Transa also features “Lion Heart”, the first single from British-Nigerian artist Sade in more than six years, which she has penned in honour of her trans son, Izaak Theo Adu.
Other artists on the album, which will be released 22 November, include Euphoria’s Hunter Schafer, Outkast’s André 3000 and boygenius member Julien Baker.
Glenn-Copeland’s song “Ever New” is a sweet and soothing nod to seasons of change, with lyrics including: “Welcome the bud, the summer blooming flower, welcome the child whose hand I hold. Welcome to you both young and old, we are ever new.”
Since its release nearly four decades ago, Keyboard Fantasies has been lauded by critics as a “pioneering” work of electronic music. Before Glenn-Copeland came out as a trans man, the album was dubbed one of the 70 greatest pieces of music by a woman by publication The Stranger.
Glenn-Copeland revealed that he is trans back in 2002. Last month, he shared that he has been diagnosed with dementia.
Smith, who came out as non-binary in 2019, has described the collaboration as one of the “most beautiful” experiences of their career to-date.
“I am so excited and honestly honoured to release this song called ‘Ever New’ with Beverly Glenn-Copeland. This song is such a masterpiece and has been in so many hearts for such a long time,” the historic, five-time Grammy Award-winner said in a video posted to Instagram.
“I was just honoured when I got the call to collaborate with Glenn. I have to say that being in the studio with Glenn that day and hearing their voice in real life in front of me and getting to sing with them together in that room, was honestly from my heart one of the most important, most beautiful experiences of my career.
“It made me feel so thankful and so grateful that I get to make music and get to meet and work with geniuses like that.”
Transa is split into eight chapters to reflect the eight stripes of the LGBTQ+ Progress Pride flag, and contains a number of original songs alongside new cover versions.
The album began to come together in 2021, following the death of revolutionary trans music producer SOPHIE, according to Red Hot’s executive director Dust Reid.
“We hoped to create a narrative that positions trans and non-binary people as leaders in our society insofar as the deep inner work they do to affirm who they are in our current climate,” Reid said in a statement.
He added that he hopes that Transa will celebrate the “gifts that trans artists have been giving to the world”.
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