When I first heard that Sam Smith was going to be the musical guest on this past weekend's Saturday Night Live, I wondered how he got the gig before fellow Brits such as Disclosure or Daley and far in advance of his debut album being released in late May. But with his new single and video for "Stay With Me" dropping days before, they set the perfect stage for him to take the SNL stage.
For his first performance, Smith gave viewers church soloist realness with his live rendition of "Stay With Me," which was pitch perfect and, of course, backed by a gospel choir. His ode to a one-night stand may not exactly be a hymn, but he surely took it to church. Sam's second performance was equally heavenly with just a pianist and cellist joining him for "Lay Me Down." The sparse instrumentation was just enough to let his voice cut through and dazzle when he wailed certain notes. Any "Why Sam Smith?" questions I or anyone else had prior to Saturday were answered with these stunners.
