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How Myles Smith Turned a Working Demo Into a Hot 100 Hit: ‘There’s So Much Beauty in Imperfection’

Myles Smith's 'Stargazing' continues to climb the Hot 100. The pop singer tells Billboard about making the chart, TikTok, life on tour and more.

When Myles Smith initially posted a teaser of what would become the soaring folk- pop hit “Stargazing” to his TikTok in early April, he had no idea what would become of it — both in terms of its overwhelming fan response, but more pressingly, how the then-still-unfinished preview would sound when it ultimately became a completed product. A week after making that initial post, which featured him singing a stripped-down rendition of the song’s captivating hook over a simple acoustic guitar, Smith unveiled a studio demo of “Stargazing,” which he continued to use as a teaser — generating 80 million views across several videos — until its official release on May 10. Soulful melodies, heartfelt lyrics and an online following of fans hungry for more made the perfect recipe for the 26-year-old Luton, England native’s debut on the Billboard charts.

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