VIBE may have ruffled a few feathers with their new cover story about "Stay" singer Sam Smith. Check out the title they gave him inside, plus Keyshia Cole is mad again...
Between "Stay" and "Latch" (and the plenty of other songs we bump on the daily), Sam Smith has taken over America with his soulful voice and refreshingly honest vibe. So when Vibe splashed the UK star on their cover and crowned him (and his album The Lonely Hour) the ruler of soul, they got exactly what they wanted: Heavy debate about what this means exactly.
The mag wrote:
Sam Smith will own the Grammys. Quote us. The blue-eyed singer is 2014’s soul controller. Deal with it. While resting in his Cambridge hometown, UK’s latest import gets real on the annoying fame monster, being gay and those constant Adele comparisons.
Here's a few highights from the Sam's cover story--
On Adele and Ed Sheeran comparisons
I think if we’re going to talk about the percentage of people who are ripped, and skinny and beautiful-looking, we’re not all like that. I will take a page out of Adele’s book. She said ‘I make music for the ears not the eyes.’ I will say that too. I make my music for people to listen to—for people to hear my voice and hear what I’m saying. I’m not bothered about what I’m wearing or my weight.
Ed is at a completely different stage in his career and so is Adele. The similarities between me and Adele, I think they’re quite lazy, actually. What I do take from it is that it must be about songwriting, the fact that we don’t twerk on stage and we stand and actually sing.
On whether he was scared that coming out would affect album sales
Of course! I thought about doing it after the album was released. But that’s not true to me and I wanted people to know where I’m coming from on the record. But my fear was that some stupid people in the world weren’t going to pick up a piece of work that I was very proud of just because of their views. I listen to Beyonce albums, Stevie Wonder albums, John Legend albums. They’re straight people talking about love yet I can still relate to their music and they can still relate to mine.
On being a gay man in the UK vs. the U.S.
Truthfully, it’s completely the same, which is surprising to me actually. It doesn’t seem to be an issue. I make music for everyone. Music is limitless, that’s what I like to think. Whether I’m in America or Japan, it’s all love and I hope it continues.
On working with Mary J. Blige
Unbelievable. I find it hard to be myself sometimes on a record. Working with Mary was one of the first times I was just myself. Mary J. Blige shows who she is, flaws and all, and that is so inspiring. I call Mary a friend and I call her up and I’ll text her and she’ll text me just to see how I’m doing and to have support from someone like that is truly unbelievable. I am so privileged to be part of her record.
Peep the behind the scenes action below:
Check out VIBE for the full digital cover story.
Speaking of things that have social media up in arms, Keyshia Cole is mad again y'all. After her "piano dance" for Birdman, or whatever you wan to call it, Twitter and IG had PLENTY to say. As the dragging continued--including people asking if she was on drugs--Keyshia has had enough.
She posted:
Oh.
Photos: Alberto Oviedo for VIBE, Keyshia's IG