The Grammys Can't Keep Sam Smith From Saying the Wrong Thing

The "Stay With Me" singer has a way with words in his lyrics, but not in real life.

August 27, 2018

Sam Smith arrives at Gila River Arena on August 30. Ruven Afanador

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Sam Smith is one of those celebrities who seems to be always caught with his foot in his mouth. The latest instance of him speaking before thinking occurred several weeks ago, when former American Idol contestant Adam Lambert posted a video of the emotive vocalist expressing his dislike of Michael Jackson. Naturally, the internet came to the defense of the King of Pop by calling the “Stay With Me” singer the most insulting thing you can call an artist in the music industry: a one-hit wonder. But with multiple Grammys and an Oscar on his mantlepiece, the backlash he has received from the anonymous masses probably isn’t keeping him up at night. His true weapon is his transcendent soulful voice, which he used to great effect on his latest album, the confessional The Thrill of It All. With over 2 million copies sold worldwide, it may prove that Smith has more staying power than his detractors would believe.

Sam Smith. 8 p.m. Friday, August 31, at Gila River Arena, 9400 West Maryland Avenue, Glendale; gilariverarena.com. Tickets are $30.75 to $120.25 via gilariverarena.com.

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