To celebrate the launch of Sam Smith’s new album ‘Gloria’ this Friday, Spotify hosted an exclusive, intimate listening party at The Windmill, Soho last night, giving fans the chance to be among the first people anywhere to hear it before its release this Friday (27th January).
Fans were asked to hand their phones in at the door to maintain extreme secrecy, before entering the plush surroundings and being greeted by a DJ set from Jodie Harsh and a special performance from the London Voices choir. From there, Sam’s fans were treated to a track by track playthrough of the album, making them the first fans in the world to hear ‘Gloria’ in its entirety.
And then, following the album’s final track, Sam made a dramatic surprise entrance from a balcony overlooking the room, met by shrieks of disbelief. Following an on stage Q&A, the evening ended with Sam making their way around the room to meet each fan individually, capping off an evening they’re likely to never forget.
The event comes as Sam joins a collective of 12 artists supporting the launch of GLOW, a new global music program from Spotify developed to celebrate the LGBTQIA+ creator community and to further Spotify’s commitment to equity in audio. Sam is joined by Arlo Parks and Joesef in launching GLOW in the UK, and every month a new artist from the LGBTQIA+ community will be celebrated and given the platform to showcase their work.
