So when an unruly stomp and clap intro rang out, the audience were momentarily nonplussed.

If Alex Turner is the playground tough guy, Sam Smith is the blue-eyed boy helping the teacher tidy the classroom at break time. No matter – the sandpaper guitar balladry of “Like I Can” and disco beats of “Restart” marked the halfway point of a set that only got better. A surprise appearance from Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky for fresh-off-the-press remix of “I’m Not The Only One” went over a few heads, given the track was premiered just hours before as Hottest Record on Zane Lowe’s BBC Radio One slot. Taking to the stage amidst the smoky R&B drums of EP title track “Nirvana”, Sam Smith spent the rest of the night proving his debut to be every bit as poignant live as it is on record.įollowing a wavy synth-ed reworking of “When It’s Alright”, a collaboration with German electronic outfit Juun, “Leave Your Lover” sees Smith lingering on every note, tearing his voice away from each syllable, backed by aching piano. The sort of album, perhaps, which may pale under the bright lights on stage, better poured over under a reading lamp with a box of tissues. The tracklist for the project can also be found below.An earnest journal of Smith’s struggle with unrequited love, In The Lonely Hour is compellingly intimate, heavy with anguish and heart-wringing emotion.

Stream Sam Smith's In the Lonely Hour below, which comes out June 17 on Capitol Records. The album is available now for pre-order on iTunes. I kept feeling lonely in the fact that I hadn’t felt love before.' While heartbreaking for the 22-year-old singer, this personal life experience brings out the best in Smith, who digs deep into his soul and bares all for his fans. ' In the Lonely Hour is about a guy that I fell in love with last year, and he didn’t love me back,' Smith told Fader. 'I think I’m over it now, but I was in a very dark place. Smith, who recently came out, revealed the album was significantly inspired by a past relationship. Sam Smith shares an early stream of his debut album In the Lonely Hour, a project that has been much anticipated following the UK singer's immense success working with Disclousure ( 'Latch') and Naughty Boy ( 'La La La') in 2013.

In the lonely hour album itunes