Sophia Michaels
Sam Smith is facing criticism online for their recent tour performance, “Gloria the Tour”. The show featured devil horns, nipple tassels and wire crowns, which some have deemed “satanic” and “grotesque”. Oli London, an internet personality, tweeted, “Last night Sam Smith performed a satanic show filled with sexual references, fetish gear, a strip tease and a grotesque imitation of sex acts on stage while children were in the audience. Is this appropriate for kids?”
This isn’t the first time Smith has received criticism for their stage performance. At the 2021 Grammy Awards, Smith performed their song “Unholy” alongside collaborator Kim Petras wearing similar costumes. This prompted Texas Senator Ted Cruz to denounce the performance as “evil”.
The singer has also been criticized for the visuals in their music video for “I’m Not Here to Make Friends”, which featured bedazzled corsets with nipple pasties. Some have accused Smith of “wearing their sexuality like a costume and shoving it in everyone’s face”.
However, Smith’s fans have been quick to come to their defense. One fan wrote, “If Sam Smith were thin, cis, and straight, they wouldn’t be ridiculed for how they present and dress.”
