"Smith bares more than his vocal cords on this record. Every story of unrequited love that's been put to song is powerful in its own right." — Billboard

Sam Smith is the winner of the 2014 Brits Critics Choice award as well as the winner of the BBC Sound of 2014 poll. He is the first and only male winner of both honors. Named the Artist to watch for 2014, Most Anticipated album of the year in USA Today, LA Times, CNN, Teen Vogue, Huffington Post, Shazam and more.

Initially known for his feature on "La La La" by Naughty Boy and Disclosure's "Latch", Smith performed "Stay With Me" and "Lay Me Down" on Saturday Night Live March 29, 2014, to an overwhelming response from media and the TV audiences around the country. The single shipped and impacted at Hot AC and AAA on 4/14.

Between smashing it on guest vocal performances, Sam has always been crafting his own unique songs.

"I said to myself, I don't want to have a genre. I wanted to take a risk."

In the course of putting it together, Sam has worked with so many blue chip collaborative names: Fraser T Smith, Two Inch Punch, Eg White. But he has retained his sense of self. After his sublime debut EP titled Nirvana , his first full release will be the albums big pop moment, 'Do It For The Love', a song that sounds like an instant, out of the box smash. But there is melancholia within. Centering on the subject on an unrequited love, it is duty bound to make the listener a little teary as it uplifts. I think so. I've been talking about album titles and people are saying oh but it s too sad but that s what it s about. I was sad and I wrote about being sad. Hopefully I ll be happier soon and I'll write about that.

His musical purity is starting to ring the right bells. Adele has tweeted her support. After one single show in New York he has become something of a cause celebre for global soulman, Maxwell. "He's a great friend to have. He ties to Jessie Ware, Naughty Boy and that whole scene of London underground talent that is taking their new soul to the mainstream." Sam Smith might yet be at the vanguard of a wave of British talent schooled through the verbal brilliance of Jill Scott, India Arie and Angie Stone in the States a decade ago.

Why does he believe stardom beckons? "When it came to writing and delivering I'd worked out that it was all about truth. When you listen to my album, the songs I love and my label love, it s all the personal things. That are relatable to other people."