Illustration by Gina Ledor
British singer-songwriter Sam Smith returns to the music world with an emotional new album, The Thrill of It All; already a hit with his fans and climbing the charts rapidly. While most of his songs are piano ballads that surround heartbreak, and his previous works were a bit boring, he manages to create a wide variety of songs in this album. This album is the first we’ve seen of Smith since his eighteen-month hiatus. Ramping up to his latest album, Smith came out as genderfluid. Coming out so close to his release was a bold move, as many people remain hostile to the genderfluid community. But, by declaring himself part of this community, he’s providing much needed representation to this marginalized group. This makes his success in the music industry and his album in general all the more significant, reaching out to those often ignored.