Sam Smith has opened up about his battle with severe anxiety.
British singer-songwriter Sam has risen to global fame since releasing his 2014 debut studio album, In the Lonely Hour.
While Sam has won a Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Original Song for the theme for 2015 James Bond film Spectre and unveiled his chart-topping follow-up record The Thrill of It All last November (17), he has now spoken about how he still feels anxious before big gigs.
"I get massive anxiety. I really struggle. I was so nervous at the Grammys this year," he told The Sun. "I thought I would be more in control of my body and emotions but I get so nervous, to the point I'm almost having panic attacks.
"Sometimes I need people who I love around me to tell me, 'Pull yourself together, you're being a drama queen - it's too much now, Sam, so rein it in.'"
The star is currently performing a string of shows as part of his tour in support of The Thrill of It All. But he nearly didn't make it onto the stage when he kicked off the trek with a gig in Sheffield, England earlier this month (Mar18).
"I was shaking," the 25-year-old recalled. "It's a vulnerable feeling. I thought I would be O.K. by now but my music is so personal, I feel like an open wound. I am more nervous now than on my first tour."
Sam is travelling around the U.K. and Europe before he heads to North America in June for a series of shows. And to help calm his nerves, he has given up drinking alcohol and is trying to meditate as much as possible.
"I am not drinking, I am trying to look after my mental health," the Stay with Me hitmaker added. "So many people go through stuff. For me, my music has been my therapy."
