What's interesting about Sam is that he totally abandoned the sound of arguably his first hit, "Latch". While I understand that was not the sound he was totally committed to, it's the sound that made him an instant crossover hit in the US. For US Black radio stations to play a white, gay, artist, from the UK, was huge. From what I've heard, none of the music he makes without disclosure is particularly interesting. As well, his voice is actually very limited (no singers, that I know, sight him as a reference). I don't know about Sam Smith. I've lived long enough to see huge stars dwindle; it'll be interesting to see if he can maintain a career through the years. We're going to need something more than mediocrity.