Aw, it appears Sam Smith's 2015 so far could use some work.
Following the very public acknowledgment of his recent breakup (which will most likely serve as material for his next album), Smith was called "fat," "effeminate" and "an ugly motherf***er" by Howard Stern on his radio show, was just ordered to pay Tom Petty royalties for similarities between "Stay With Me" and Petty's "I Won't Back Down," and now the singer has revealed he's "very paranoid and insecure all the time" in his most recent interview with GQ. Rough.
For someone who just notched six Grammy nominations for his debut album, you'd like to think the focus would be on Smith's music instead of how he looks, or how other people think he looks. But despite the cascade of negativity, Smith is still keeping it real, which is exactly why his fans adore him. He told GQ: "I am not Sam Smith, the gay singer. I am Sam Smith, the singer who happens to be gay. I preach all the time about being myself and being comfortable with myself, but if I'm honest, I struggle every day. I'm still figuring out who I am. I don't want to pretend I've got everything sorted out in my mind, because I really don't."
Cheer up, Sam. You're one of the hottest names in music right now and will probably win all the Grammys (or at least a few). We know the fame thing can get maddening. All eyes (and ears) are on you. That can mess with someone's brain circuitry. So if you ever feel yourself slipping away, just do what we do and remember these three things.