Sam Smith review, O2 Arena: Years of self-discovery culminate in this sultry, sparkly show

Sam Smith is no stranger to performing in front of thousands – tens of thousands, even. Still, one might imagine it’s a task that’s infinitely more daunting for someone wearing an outfit of nipple clamps, leather briefs, and thigh-high platform boots. Yet as the 30-year-old stomps across the O2 Arena stage, cherubic cheeks rosy as they grin, there’s no hint of fear. Instead, there’s a playful glint in their eyes and a defiant expression of pride on their face. “Did I say something wrong? Oops, I didn’t know I couldn’t talk about sex,” they tease in a cover of Madonna’s 1995 self-expression anthem “Human Nature”. Smith knows that people will talk – and from the looks of things, that’s exactly the point.

Born in London, Smith was raised in the Cambridgeshire village of Great Chishill, where they performed in youth choirs and musical theatre groups. After releasing some early tracks in their late teens, 20-year-old Smith got their first taste of mainstream attention after providing the irresistible vocals for Disclosure’s hit song “Latch” in 2012. From there, the road to stardom was paved. Their 2014 debut album, In the Lonely Hour, was a global success, earning Smith four Grammys and securing their status as a household name. But recent years have seen the musician transition away from the strait-laced, desexed image of their young career. In 2019, Smith announced their non-binary identity. Since then, they have embraced queerness in their music and in their dress, experimenting across gender lines with fashion and make-up. Tonight feels like the culmination of those years of self-discovery.

Entering the stage to their most successful hit, the swoony ballad “Stay with Me”, Smith reminds us of their undeniable vocal talent. On other early tracks, such as “I’m Not the Only One” and “Like I Can”, their voice is soulful and commanding. Standing corset-clad in front of a large gold statue of a reclining body, Smith addresses their fans for the first time. “I have to make a shout-out to any kids in the audience right now who want to do this and be on stage and sing: you can do it,” they say sincerely, recalling the many occasions when they sat in the crowd yearning for the same. And with that, Smith invites the audience on a 90-minute personal celebration of freedom, split into three segments: love, beauty, and sex.

“I know it’s Tuesday and the week has just begun, but I need you to turn this place into a gay bar with me, can you do that?” For someone with a catalogue filled with yearnful, heart-sick ballads, Smith is surprisingly at home performing the evening’s upbeat house tracks. Their 2018 Calvin Harris collaboration, “Promises”, and “Latch” are highlights that have the audience jumping up and down, rave-style. Admittedly, Smith’s vocal talent far outweighs their dancing skills, but that doesn’t stop them from enthusiastically joining in with some of the choreography.

The evening’s most poignant moment arrives with Smith’s cover of the Des’ree track “Kissing You”. Smith takes the stage, donning a green maxidress and a halo adorned with the name of transgender teen Brianna Ghey, who was stabbed to death in February. It’s a simple but touching acknowledgement of the brutality that queer people continue to face.

Smith does not linger for long in sadness, though. Soon, we’re back in their gay bar, with dancers writhing to their tracks “Gimme” and “Lose You”. Finally, we come to the segment that has previously had onlookers clutching their pearls. “This is the climax, let’s ignite,” a voiceover declares, introducing the show’s “sex” chapter. Smith appears under a golden light, draped entirely in white fabric for the tour’s choral title track, “Gloria” – yet before we know it, the virgin bride moment is over. Suddenly, Smith strips off to underwear and boots for a raucous rendition of “Unholy”, their 2022 collaboration with German pop artist Kim Petras for which Smith won their fifth Grammy. Fittingly, Smith takes on a devil persona for the song, complete with horns and pitchfork, while flames lick the gold body statue.

Before the Gloria tour landed in London, it had already made national headlines for Smith’s satanic sartorial stylings. After years of grappling with their body image and implicitly being told that who they are is wrong, Smith reclaiming their damnation is nothing short of powerful. Smith knows that in the eyes of some, they are so-called evil for expressing themselves. But if Smith’s going to hell, they might as well have fun while they’re here. With this show, it’s clear that the singer is having an absolute ball.