Our guest this episode, Sam Smith, is one of the most popular singers in the world. Sam's music has more than 57 billion streams. We first met in 2014 in Sam's hometown in England, when their debut album was just blowing up. Now, a dozen years later, Sam came to my home to talk about their stunning fifth album, "Hazel Eyes." 00:00 "That's where I sat with you" 00:32 Welcome to Alchemy 02:13 A queer love album — and a radical one 03:51 Leaving the pop factory 05:08 The pressure of being a billion-stream artist 07:14 Inside "Thief" 12:08 A private relationship with singing 13:31 Church, gospel, and singing alone 14:33 Vocal surgery, cancelled arenas, and stage fear 17:20 The field in the countryside 19:34 Going back to school in 2014 22:14 Becoming a New Yorker 25:21 The Met Gala, and fashion as armor 31:22 The songs Sam won't sing anymore 35:35 Panic and an overactive imagination 37:10 The letter from Tom Petty 43:56 Pronouns, backlash, and being a political artist 48:10 The Pink House 50:32 Sam Served: the food vlog 54:05 How Sam handles the flak 56:08 What music gives Sam now New episodes of Alchemy every Wednesday. Follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube so you never miss one. Sign up here to get Alchemy in your inbox. Stay connected with Anthony Mason on Instagram, TikTok & Facebook. For brand partnerships: partnerships@collective.media For press inquiries: dawn@thepresshouse.com For bookings: rebecca@alchemy.show About our Founding Sponsor, The FLAG Art Foundation: The FLAG Art Foundation is a nonprofit contemporary art exhibition space in New York's Chelsea Arts District. Since 2008, FLAG has staged more than 100 exhibitions celebrating nearly 1,000 artists, with innovative partnerships including the Parrish Art Museum, the Serpentine Galleries in London, and the Harlem Children's Zone. FLAG is free and open to the public. Follow FLAG on Instagram. About Anthony Mason: Anthony Mason, the host of Alchemy, is also a Special Correspondent with CBS News. One of the most versatile and experienced television journalists, Anthony co-hosted CBS This Morning: Saturday for seven years (2012-2019), and then the weekday CBS This Morning broadcast for two more. But he may be best known for his interviews with artists like Bruce Springsteen, Aretha Franklin, Dolly Parton, Annie Leibovitz, Judi Dench, David Hockney, and André 3000. He has won a dozen Emmy Awards. In 2023, the Songwriters Hall of Fame presented him their Patron of the Arts Award. And for the past three years he has hosted the GRAMMY Hall of Fame Gala.
