Give Ed Sheeran props for originality ― and a winking sense of humor ― when it comes to gift-giving.
Sam Smith, a longtime pal of Sheeran’s, dropped by “The Kelly Clarkson Show” Tuesday to promote a forthcoming album. Smith spoke at length in the chat about a “wild” gift Sheeran recently sent their way.
“I thought it was a joke,” Smith said. “It’s a six-foot-two marble penis. It’s two tons. I’m going to have to get it craned into my house.”
When asked what they plan to do with Sheeran’s, um, phallic furnishing, Smith said they’d like to turn it into a fountain. Together with Clarkson, they also chose a name for the statue: the Duke of Hastings, a cheeky allusion to actor Regé-Jean Page’s character on the premiere season of Netflix’s “Bridgerton.”
Watch Sam Smith’s appearance on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” below.
Evidently, marble penises are one of Sheeran’s go-to presents for his friends.
“Elton [John] got the first,” Smith shared.
A four-time Grammy winner, Smith, is currently enjoying the success of “Unholy,” their new single with Kim Petras. Released last month, the track marks the start of Smith’s self-proclaimed “villain era” and is currently ranked No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
Later on Tuesday, Smith also reminded fans of their vocal prowess when they joined Clarkson on a killer version of her 2004 smash, “Breakaway.”
“Unholy” is also the first taste of Smith’s forthcoming album, their first since 2020’s “Love Goes.” The record’s title and release date have not been announced, but in a separate interview on Annie Mac’s “Changes” podcast last week, they said the new music represents “a transitional three years in my life.”
The singer-songwriter, who is nonbinary, also acknowledged that their fan base shifted after they began living as their true self in 2019.
“In terms of music, I definitely feel like there are some people that have turned away, I think, purely down to homophobia and transphobia,” they said. “That’s a hard thing to take on, that people are digesting your music in a different way.”
Noting that their albums have “always been queer,” Smith added, “It’s fascinating how people’s politics sometimes can leak into their love of music.”