Sam Smith’s song with Kim Petras, “Unholy,” made queer history when it topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart last month, making them the first non-binary and transgender artists, respectively, to top the chart. But despite the fame and success, Sam says being a queer person hasn’t gotten easier.
In a new interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, Sam admits, “It's still hard to be queer. There's still backlash. I still get things said to me on the street, even now.”
They add, “The weirdest thing is you can be famous, you can be a pop star and you still get it. Because I thought I'd become a pop star and I'd never get a bad word said to me ever again. I'd never have homophobia. I'd never experience it if I became a star. And then it happens and it's still there.”
Sam says it takes bravery to continue to live authentically and they’ve since embraced their role of being a voice for the LGBTQ+ community.
“There's kids out there that need this,” Sam says. “They need us to talk about it.”
Sam’s fourth studio album, Gloria, is due out January 23.