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Stadium-ready UK singer Myles Smith: ‘For the working class, music opportunities are few and far between’

Up for three Brit awards this weekend including song of the year for his epic hit Stargazing, the former sociology student condemns how austerity has damaged the arts

Myles Smith’s song Stargazing – a thumping pop-hoedown full of stadium-sized chants and euphoric romance – was one of the biggest hits by a British artist last year, racking up nearly 700m streams on Spotify, spending 40 weeks on the UK chart and breaking the US Top 20. But with pianos, ethereal production touches and Smith’s open-hearted yet bruised vocal style – plus plenty of whoa-oh-ohs – the likes of Sheeran, Coldplay and Hozier are clearly touchstones too, and even dance music fans will be endeared to his insistent beats and big breakdowns. “But those initial months were petrifying, stepping from a stable income to absolute uncertainty.” He started posting songs to TikTok in 2022, where his manager discovered him, and was signed to a major label deal with Sony the following year.

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