Sam Smith will be keeping fans waiting for new material while he attempts to discover "the core" of his musical message.
The 23-year-old British singer shot to superstardom in 2014 with the release of his debut album In the Lonely Hour, an offering that earned him four Grammy Awards and the chance to record a coveted Bond theme, which scored the star a Golden Globe trophy and an Oscar nomination.
Achieving tremendous success so quickly has transformed Sam and he is now trying to find ways to express his new perspective on life in songs he's writing for his second album.
"Obviously, the Oscars have changed stuff a little bit, because I was meant to just have the entire year off," he tells Deadline. "I’ve learned some stuff about myself in the past few months, and the truth is, I can’t take time off.
"The day after New Years Eve, even though I was insanely hungover, I just went straight into the studio. But I haven’t got a plan to release anything as of yet, and I don’t think I want to release anything for a bit. I just want the music to be right, so at the moment I’m just trying to get back to a comfortable place, and actually, the last few days I’ve had a massive breakthrough with a few songs.
"I’m just trying to get to the bones, to the core of what I want to say in this next record," he adds. "That’s my plan."
Sam does not want to be tainted by fame or the allures of Hollywood, so in attempt to keep things as normal as possible, the star has committed to simplifying his daily affairs in the upcoming weeks and spending more time with loved ones.
"I’m trying to live as well a little bit, and I think next month I’m going to force myself to just stay at home and see my mum and dad and my sisters, because I feel like I’ve missed out on their lives a bit the last few years, so that’s my plan," he said. "When I go to these big events (like the Oscars) it’s amazing, but you know, this year for me is my time to just pretend like all of that never happened and then walk back into it."
