Sam Smith is Taking on Queerphobia and Fatphobia Song by Song

By Christine Siamanta Kinori

At this point, if you love music you have probably heard of Sam Smith. The 30-year-old shot into fame back in 2012 with their song Latch. They have since gone on to break many music records and just recently won the 2023 Best Pop Duo/Group Performance Grammy award for their hit song with Kim Petras, Unholy.

The Grammy performance saw both artists receive backlash. Many argued that the performance was too racy but what did they expect , the song is literally called Unholy. But what has the internet trolls in a rage at the moment is Sam Smith’s new video for their song, I’m Not Here to Make Friends.

The video dropped a few weeks ago and as usual people found a lot to say and sadly most of it was directed at Sam Smith’s body. The video is quite artistic and the dancers have on tight corsets and generally the dancers are meant to be of indeterminate gender. Sam Smith themselves are dressed in a tight glimmery corset . In my opinion, Sam killed the choreography, it should be considered a skill to dance in such high heels.

Sadly, many said the song was obscene and raunchy. They questioned the future of music and why a video like that would be allowed on YouTube without restriction. These people forget that Sam Smith did not choose to be their kids role models. It is not up to Sam Smith to check what your kid is watching online , that is on you as a parent .

Sam Smith signed up to be a musician and sing their truth. They never woke up and chose to “corrupt” your child. Their message is to inspire the LGBTQ+ community . If you don’t subscribe, no one will force you to. If you don’t want to see hot men dancing together or singing about man to man love, Honey! What are you doing following a non-binary artist? If you are going to be there to troll, kindly unsubscribe and let the intended target audience enjoy the show!

And then there was this other confused group of haters who came for Sam Smith’s weight. I was generally surprised to read a comment saying Sam Smith is no longer a great vocal artist because of the added weight. Thankfully, Sam Smith has a clear message for these haters.

In their recent interview with The Sunday Times, Sam said that they have always been self-concious about their body especially since they are in the music industry. Sam is very much aware of the question, ‘What should a pop star look like?’ They said that after their tour at 25 years old, they took time to rejuvenate. It was during this time that they started to stop feeling self-conscious and started loving their body.

In the interview, Sam said that the self-love paid off and now they have the opposite of body dysmorphia. They feel great, they look at their body and think , “ I look fabulous.” Sam added that they are now “happier in their own skin.” They decided to heed their mom’s advice and started shaking off the negative comments and focused on what they wanted and finding their happiness.

The latest video is a slap to all the body shaming Sam has been getting since the start of the year. They woke up and decided to use music to empower other people who are being body-shamed. In one interview, they said that it is the comments from those closest that hurts the most. They are right, the people close to use can say the meanest things in the guise of loving you and wanting the best for you.

I watched the video and all I saw was queer faboluosity at its best. Sam is free to embrace their body and so is everyone else. I don’t understand the hate Sam is getting for the video. As one person tweeted, the body shaming and the queerphobia all started when Sam came out as non-binary and started dressing up more feminine. This leads you to ask if the trolls are truly angry about their weight gain or their identity? Nevertheless, it doesnt matter because this behaviour is simply abhorrent.

I am here for Sam Smith music and journey as part of the LGBTQ+ community. I am glad they are embracing themselves and the haters can hate.

Sam Smith is going to continue to make amazing music, break records left and right, and will be remembered in the history of music. On the other hand, who will bother remembering a troll in the vast sea of the internet? I pray that they will do a collabo with Lizzo- I bet the body shamers wont be able to handle that!

About the Author:

Christine Siamanta Kinori grew up in a little village in Kenya known as Loitoktok near the border of Kenya and Tanzania. All she wanted to do when she grew up was to explore the world. Her curiosity led her to join Nairobi University to pursue a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications. She later got a job with an amazing travel magazine Nomad Africa which gave her the opportunity to explore Africa. She also writes for numerous travel websites about Africa and tries to create a new narrative in the media about our aesthetic continent.

Christine claims to have somewhat unhealthy addiction to TV and reading, as it is a fun way to keep herself occupied during the long journeys for her travel writing. She is also a believer of letting people be their beautiful selves. To her, love is love and it is the greatest gift we have as humans.