Entertainment TV Everyone Is in Love with Sam Smith After His VMA Performance The singer's stripped-down performance was the talk of Twitter immediately after it aired By People Staff Published on August 24, 2014 10:30 PM Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Kevin Winter/MTV1415/Getty Update: In September 2019, Sam Smith announced that they use they/them pronouns. This content was written in August 2014 before Smith publicly announced their pronouns. Sam Smith‘s hit song “Stay with Me” is still all over the airwaves (and the Internet), and after his restrained, stripped-down performance of the haunting tune on the VMAs, most of Twitter seemed to fall in love with the singer as well. “I’m just going to sing my heart out and I can’t believe I’m performing. It hasn’t really hit me yet,” he said before taking the stage. Smith also started his evening out right, Tweeting a picture with Beyoncé when he arrived at the highly anticipated event. And after his performance (see it below), Twitter blew up with praise for the singer. But the cheering crowds don’t faze Smith – especially when he’s in America. “American audiences are louder, which I really like. I think they should be,” he told reporters. “It’s early days, everyone could just piss off and leave me, but I feel like these people are going to stay with me. I feel like audiences are going to stick with me. I hope so.” PHOTOS: The Good, Bad & Boldest Looks of the VMAs Take one look at this adorable, mid-singing smile and tell us you don’t feel the same way. • Additional reporting by CHRISTINA DUGAN Want more stories like this? Sign up for our newsletter and other special offers: sign me up Thank you for signing up! 90 Seconds on the Red Carpet with Your Favorite VMAs Stars