Sam Smith returns with new single Love Me More after two-year break
IT’S been two years since Sam Smith put out a record, but we can reveal that the superstar is back with an upbeat new single.
The velvet-voiced singer is releasing Love Me More, which promises a party, celebratory sound and should guarantee a return to the charts.
They’ve been spotted out letting their hair down on the dance floor lately as the post-pandemic London club scene gets back up and running and it seems they’re bringing the vibe to the track’s video.
We’re told Sam wants to recreate the same bashes they’ve been to at queer hotspot The Vauxhall Tavern, in the capital, celebrating freedom and love.
A pal said: “Sam is super excited to be making a long-awaited comeback and feels the time is ripe.
“They’re all about love, laughter and being able to go out and dance again and want that to reflect in their music after a heavy few years. Of course, Sam will be maintaining their classic sound too, but expect Love Me More to have an anthemic, dancey feel.
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“The video is filming later this month, with the single expected to drop not long after.”
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Sam spoke about how much they missed going out, telling Vogue: “I miss dancing more than anything, I find it so therapeutic to dance.
“I absolutely love clubbing, I moved to London when I was 19 and spent a couple of years in Vauxhall, finding myself dancing, having a lovely time.
“For me, being in queer spaces like that is so powerful and wonderful and it’s how I found myself when I moved to London.”
Last month it was revealed Sam had been in LA recording new music for their upcoming album, which is set to follow later this year.
After Sam’s last record Love Goes, released at the end of 2020, was the singer’s first album not to go to No1 — stalling at No2 — we hope the follow-up lives up to their original success . . .
Heidi yum!
WE’RE guessing supermodel Heidi Klum doesn’t spend too much time in an American diner – but at least she’s getting a taste of the action with this Moschino tracksuit.
The star, who was on the America’s Got Talent set, posted a snap of herself, with the words: “I want what’s on my tracksuit.” Drive-thru anyone?
GRAMMYS TIGHTENED UP
WILL SMITH’s shocking stage slap to Chris Rock has certainly put the cat among the pigeons with organisers of tonight’s Grammy Awards.
We hear head honchos at America’s biggest music do, taking place at MGM Grand Garden Arena, in Las Vegas, have pulled out all the stops to ensure there’s no chance of someone copying Will, right.
Stage security has been doubled and on-site staff are going over the running order with a fine toothcomb so there will be no surprises or jokes that could cause offence.
Our music mole tells us: “There have been frantic meetings all week to ensure that the show goes smoothly and there are no controversial scenes.
“Organisers have had enough trouble getting the show off the ground with the pandemic to contend with, so adding this into the mix has been a huge pressure . . .
“Everyone attending knows there is a strict code of conduct and if they don’t abide to it, they’ll be kicked out.”
Strictly Rose is gong ho
STRICTLY Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis is being lined up to receive an MBE as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
The EastEnders actress, who plays Frankie Lewis in the BBC soap, won Strictly with pro partner Giovanni Pernice last year as the first deaf person to contest it.
She is now in the frame for a gong for services to the deaf community, thanks to her ballroom triumph on the BBC’s Strictly. Her performances – including one with a silent section – sent enrolments for sign-language courses soaring.
Sources reveal Rose has now been singled out for an honour. One said: “Her success on Strictly shone a light on the deaf community in a way that surpassed everyone’s expectations.
“Not only did she raise awareness about the challenges deaf people face, she was a true inspiration for them – particularly young people. She really did break down boundaries.”
Her appearance on the show sparked a massive spike of interest in sign language – with one firm offering BSL courses reporting a 2,000 percent rise in enrolments.
She later claimed the reaction from the deaf community had been her “proudest moment”.
JERMAINE JENAS would love to show off his fancy footwork on Strictly Come Dancing.
At the Quantus NFT Gallery launch the ex-footballer and One Show host said: “I will do Strictly. But I just want to focus on television right now and my family life too, more than anything else.”
BOND... 1
IDRIS ELBA has long been speculated as a contender to replace Daniel Craig as the latest James Bond, but he insists he is now too old.
The actor, who is 50 this year, is adamant his villain-chasing days are behind him.
But he conceded he could be a bad guy in producer Barbara Broccoli’s spy flicks.
He said: “I am 50 this year. Let’s say you sign up for three films – nobody wants to see Bond giving chase or beating up guys when he is 60. I am probably too old to take on the role now.”
But he added: “If there was a chance to be involved and the role was right for me, why not? It would be incredible to be a Bond villain.”
Over to you, Barbara.
Bond… 2
IF Idris Elba does get his wish to be a Bond villain, he may come face to face with a Peaky Blinder.
Kingsley Ben-Adir, who starred in the hit BBC gangster show as Colonel Ben Younger, is in the running to be 007.
He won a GQ award last year for Breakthrough Actor and was an EE Bafta Rising Star nominee.
Kingsley, right, is making waves in Hollywood starring as the villain in new Marvel show Secret Invasion, as well as playing reggae legend Bob Marley in an upcoming biopic.
A source said: “Kingsley is an edgy and exciting choice.
“He is British, supremely talented and handsome. At 36 he is the perfect age to take the Bond baton on for another decade.”
Caught live 1: Madness
TWO-tone heroes Madness may be slowly nudging towards their fifth decade as a group, but they remain a compelling live proposition.
The Camden collective arrived for their Teenage Cancer Trust gig with a stack of era-defining singles and quickly got the party started.
One Step Beyond turned the Royal Albert Hall into a sea of flailing limbs and skanking shuffles.
Frontman Suggs conducted the ensuing mayhem with a trademark twinkle in his eye, delivering the kitchen-sink vignettes of Embarrassment and My Girl as though they were written yesterday.
The irresistible hooks of House Of Fun, Baggy Trousers and Our House reminded us why they remain the Nutty Boys’ calling cards and ensured demand for an encore was so strong the iconic, 150-year-old house was almost quite literally brought down.
Night Boat To Cairo wrapped up a 75-minute show of sheer, unadulterated, and brilliant, Madness.
Caught live 2: Tom Walker
TOM WALKER’s latest gig saw him perform to a packed Omeara club in London last week.
The singer-songwriter – 2019’s British Breakthrough Artist at the Brits – was beaming as fans sang along to his best-known tracks.
They were also applauding his new music like the upbeat, WEEKND-esque Serotonin, which he promised is due for release very soon.
Tom, who devoted numerous songs to his fiancee Annie, also performed new track Universal Love, which we can see being a festival staple.
We can’t wait to see what else he has lined up for the coming months.
ORF YOUR HEAD, GOLDA
BRIDGERTON actress Golda Rosheuvel has lifted the lid on her wildly hedonistic past.
Golda, who plays Queen Charlotte, inset, in the Netflix toffs drama, said: “I took a lot of drugs and was a party animal.
“I used to rock up to (London club) Heaven on a Friday night and end up at Turner’s on a Sunday morning. It was hardcore.”
She told online women’s magazine Bustle how she turned to drink and drugs as she struggled with her biracial identity in acting.
She said: “Identity is such a big thing for biracial people, and myself as a woman.
I’ve played roles that are stereotypically Black. There’s nothing wrong with these so long as they have an impactful storyline. But I had to understand how the industry saw me. That took a lot of working out, a lot of mistakes, a lot of drugs and alcohol to numb the pain.”
STACEY DOOLEY discovered she’s a dab hand with a whip when she met a dominatrix for her latest TV show.
Stacey, who was taught to wield it by 70-year-old Mistress Sofia, said as she smacked a pillow: “I’ve found my talent! I feel like I’m quite good at this.”
Despite her skill, she later admitted she could never dominate her boyfriend, former Strictly dancer Kevin Clifton.
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The telly host, who was filming for W series Stacey Dooley Sleeps Over, said: “I don’t think I’d be a very good dom, absolutely not with Kev! He would think I’d lost my mind! It’s so not my scene. I can’t think of anything worse.”
I can imagine that’s a huge relief for Kevin.