Fans have jumped to Sam Smith’s defence after the musician was branded ‘satanic’ for their performance at a recent show in Sheffield.
The musician, 30, launched into their UK tour with a show in Sheffield this week, playing their back catalogue of major hits to thousands of people.
Having arrived on the scene 10 years ago, Sam became known for their mournful ballads and strong voice.
But the artist, who is nonbinary, has in recent months changed up their image to something far more edgy, often donning devil horns and stripping off for provocative dances.
Sam’s new look has caused major upset from some on social media and in the press, with complaints about ‘Satanism’ following their performances at the Grammy and Brit awards, and their music video for I’m Not Here To Make Friends seeing an almost-never-before-seen wave of pearl-clutching that the video was inappropriate for children.
You would have to be living under a rock not to know about how Sam presents themself on stage these days, but the star was hit with major criticism as clips from their Sheffield show went viral, with the musician doing what they are well known to do, including wearing little and acting provocatively.
Sam was hit with abuse from commenters on social media, as there were children present at the all-ages gig, with the show slammed as totally inappropriate, and while there was some criticism directed to the parents who chose to bring their children, the vast majority was to the artist.
One described it as a ‘perverse freak show,’ while Andrew Tate said the musician was ‘literally [worshipping] the devil.’ Tate is currently under house arrest as police investigate claims of human trafficking and rape.
Plenty have now come to Sam’s defence, with comedian Sooz Kempner arguing Sam is doing nothing new, comparing them to the likes of Madonna and Miley Cyrus.
‘If you’re clutching your pearls over Sam Smith doing nothing more risque than the same stuff that already had squares clutching pearls since forever…Elvis, Madonna, Freddie Mercury, Bowie, Christina Aguilera, Miley Cyrus, Lil Nas X and more already offended you and your ilk,’ she wrote.
Another echoed the sentiment, writing that ‘musicians have been doing raunchy/revealing/risqué stage shows for f*****g EVER,’ and ‘the only reason you don’t like Sam Smith doing it is because they’re queer and fat, which is very much a you problem.’
One Twitter user said the hate Sam receives is ‘unnecessary’ and pointed to songs like Khia’s My Neck, My Beck, Rihanna’s S&M and Cardi B’s Wap, and said they ‘struggle to believe anyone is as offended by Sam Smith as they make out.’
On the likes of TikTok, clips of Sam’s show went viral for other reasons, with one hugely popular clip showing a semi-naked Sam surrounded by dancers acting like fans and taking selfies, and the caption accompanying it bearing the words: ‘I need Sam Smith’s body confidence.’
Another popular clip making the rounds saw Sam strip off their tshirt and swing it around their head, with the caption: ’10/10 for body confidence Sam!’
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MORE : Sam Smith is doing nothing wrong – they’re just acting like any other straight, cisgender pop star
MORE : Sam Smith defies critics of religious imagery wearing only sheer veil and tiny underwear as they launch UK tour in Sheffield
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