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Sam Smith has spoken out about the public backlash surrounding their latest music video after it caused a stir among viewers.
The 'I'm Not Here to Make Friends' video has sparked intense debate for its saucy dance routines and revealing outfits, which saw performers wear corsets and suspenders.
While Smith’s critics have demanded age restrictions on music videos, the singer has brushed off the controversy, speaking out about the video on the BBC's The Graham Norton Show:
They explained the meaning behind the track, which inspired Smith to take a different route for their latest music video.
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“I went on a date with this guy and he just… people friend-zone me a lot on dates,” they told viewers.
“And the next day I went into the studio and I was, like, I’m sick of, like, I’ve got enough friends. I don’t need any more friends.”
Smith also spoke about filming in an opulent castle during the festive season, with other visitors clueless about what was going on the premises.
“Yeah, they had Christmas parties [going on]. They were working around us. They had no idea what was going on in the rooms,” they joked.
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However, Smith assured viewers that the set was very tame: “Nothing seedy went on, guys. It wasn’t weird.
“…weirder things had happened in that castle.”
Whilst Smith has ignored criticism, some are still deeply concerned about the video’s content.
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One Twitter user wrote: “No f***ing need, it's blatant tacky sexualised bulls**t. As a mum of teenagers I'm sick of seeing people using s**t like this to sell their music.
"I would be saying this about anyone who put out a video like this.
"It's not about #SamSmith gender, I don't care about their gender."
Another even called for the music video to be banned from Youtube, adding in a furious tweet: "I can’t believe kids look up to @samsmith. This s**t should be banned on YouTube.”
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However, some fans have defended the singer and stated that it's parents’ responsibility to monitor what their children access online.
One Twitter user bemoaned: "Why do parents think it’s everyone else’s job except theirs to parent their ratty kids? It was YOUR choice to have them, maybe it’s YOUR job to monitor what they’re watching online."
Others fans have argued that the backlash is purely due to Smith’s queer identity.
One fan wrote: "All this Sam Smith ridicule just proves that heterosexual, cis people don’t want queer people being visibly queer in public: 'I’m fine with you being gay, just don’t show it..”.
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As the debate rumbles on, Smith has laughed off the intense conversations surrounding the video.
In a recent post, they even uploaded a photo of themself in a black feather outfit with the caption ‘Never too much’.
Featured Image Credit: YouTube/Sam SmithTopics: Entertainment, Music, News