Sam Smith has praised Madonna as a vital figure for LGBTQ+ communities, revealing that the pop icon personally reached out to support them during the controversy surrounding their chart-topping hit Unholy.
Speaking to Zane Lowe on Apple Music, the singer-songwriter described Madonna as both a personal inspiration and a cultural lifeline for queer people around the world.
“Madonna is my mother,” Sam said. “She’s just un-f—ing-real.”
The non-binary singer recalled how Madonna contacted them following the backlash that accompanied Unholy, their 2022 collaboration with Kim Petras. The song became a global hit, reaching number one in several countries, but also attracted criticism over its provocative imagery and live performances.
“She, the minute it happened, she made sure she got through to me,” they said. “And she’s so aware of queer news and what’s happening in the community, [what’s happening] to the artists within the community.”
Sam said Madonna's support carried particular significance because of her longstanding relationship with LGBTQ+ audiences and decades of advocacy for queer communities.
“Her music is a lifeline to queer people,” they said. “You feel that in her music. Her music is a lifeline to queer people and just all of the eras of her and her stamina and how she’s just always carried on and on and on. I just find it very inspiring.”
The comments are the latest example of Sam highlighting Madonna’s influence on both their career and personal life. The pair collaborated on the single Vulgar in 2023, shortly after Madonna introduced Sam and Kim Petras’ performance of Unholy at the Grammy Awards.
During that introduction, Madonna praised the pair for persevering in the face of criticism, positioning them as artists who had refused to be silenced by controversy.
For Sam, Madonna’s impact extends beyond music. They told Lowe that her catalogue continues to provide comfort and inspiration for LGBTQ+ people navigating their own lives and identities.
“I think a lot of queer people find it inspiring,” they said. “And it’s not just a comfort in my personal life; it’s a comfort in my music.”
The interview comes ahead of the release of Sam's fifth studio album, Hazel Eyes, which they have described as a deeply personal project exploring love, identity and creative freedom.
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