Sam Smith is an open book, as evidenced by his music, which reveals his thoughts through reflective lyrics. One notable example is “To Be Free,” a ballad released last July that reflects on his childhood. “My childhood was spent by a small river in Cambridgeshire, in the heart of the English countryside. Later, I lived by the Thames in London, and now my home is near the Hudson River. Rivers have always been a part of my life, so it felt natural to imagine my music and my way of expressing myself as a river: always in motion, changing, but deeply connected to who I am,” the artist expressed, according to Billboard.
The superstar has shared one of the more complex episodes from his childhood: at the age of 13, he underwent liposuction. In an interview on the podcast Podcrushed, he provided further details about this period. The artist, known for “I’m Not The Only One,” attended a Catholic high school in England and revealed that he felt uncomfortable about his weight. “My homosexuality was something I could ‘control,’ but my weight as a child was the hardest thing for me at school,” he noted. “And it was probably what bothered me the most.”
According to the singer, there were many reasons behind his decision, primarily due to the bullying he faced. “I couldn’t go swimming at school and I couldn’t change in the locker room; it was hell. So, I had liposuction when I was 13,” he explained.
“My parents supported me a lot because they saw how much it was affecting me,” he specified. “Honestly, it was a constant struggle with food and those things, and the liposuction worked, but it was also a nightmare because I had to wear a bandage.” Initially, he was supposed to wear the bandage for a month, but he was concerned it would draw attention at school and affect his experience in the cafeteria. Ultimately, he wore the bandage for a year.
However, in 2023, the singer, who identifies as non-binary, told The Sunday Times that he feels liberated and comfortable in his own body. According to People, he admitted it was a long journey before he felt comfortable posing shirtless on the cover of “Gloria.” This turning point and acceptance occurred in 2018 after his “Thrill of It All” tour. “It was worth it because now I have the complete opposite of body dysmorphia. I look fabulous. I’m finally getting a tan. I have sunburns in places I’ve never had before,” he stated.