Sam Smith has announced their engagement to fashion designer Christian Cowan, saying their relationship helped inspire their forthcoming fifth album, ‘Hazel Eyes’. The record marks a shift towards songs about reciprocated love and is significant, Smith said, as an openly queer celebration of love amid continuing pressure on LGBTQ+ rights.

Smith and Cowan have been together for about three years and were first publicly linked in December 2022; they made their red-carpet debut at the 2024 Met Gala. ‘Hazel Eyes’, named for Cowan’s eye colour, is due on 21 August via Capitol Records UK, while Smith will promote it with two Manchester shows and eight London dates in September.