Curated Artist Library
Forge Brief
Sam Smith
2012-present
Vulnerable, gospel-rooted, powerful — pop as testimony-style ritual.
Genres
popsoul popgospel-influenced popadult contemporary
Vocal character
Sam Smith: powerful contralto-tenor (non-binary singer with extensive range). Gospel-trained melismatic runs as default. Conversational intimate verses lifting to full-throated chorus belts. Multi-tracked harmonies on choruses.
Production markers
Jimmy Napes / Disclosure / Calvin Harris production across trackspiano-led ballad arrangements (Stay With Me, Lay Me Down)multi-tracked vocal harmony stacks 4-6 voicesstring section overdubs on commercial peaksoccasional house / EDM production (How Do You Sleep, Promises)
Lyrical themes
romantic devotion + heartbreak (Stay With Me)queer identity and self-acceptancegospel-applied-to-secular lovespecific named situationsself-reflection on love's costs
Signature moves
piano + voice intro before band entersextended melismatic vocal run at the chorus peakgospel-organ swell into the bridgemulti-tracked vocal harmony stack on himself
Avoid — off-brand for this artist
metal guitarrap features as dominantEDM drops without polishauto-tune as crutchlo-fi indie production
More like Sam Smith
- Whitney Houston
1985-2012
popR&Bgospel-influenced pop - Khalid
2016-present
alt R&BpopR&B - Lionel Richie
1968-present (Commodores 1968-1982, solo 1982-present)
soft rockR&Bsoul - Ariana Grande
2013-present
popR&Bdance-pop - Bruno Mars
2010-present
popfunkR&B
Ranked by genre overlap + era proximity. Browse the full library →