Sam Smith's debut transformed unrequited longing into stadium-sized catharsis, their gospel-trained falsetto aching through sleek pop-soul productions that made heartbreak feel like a communal ritual. Stay with Me's spare piano drama earned Grammy glory, while the album's frank exploration of queer desire, dressed in universal emotional language, smuggled LGBTQ+ narratives into the mainstream without apology.

The UK singer's vocal acrobatics occasionally overwhelmed songs that blurred together, yet In the Lonely Hour connected precisely because it wore its wounded heart so conspicuously, selling millions to anyone who'd ever loved poorly.