Sam Smith’s new tattoo is a tribute to the pop star’s gender identity journey.
London-based tattoo artist Miles Langford unveiled the “I’m Not the Only One” singer’s latest ink: a depiction of a short-haired person standing in front of a mirror in tighty whities and high heels.
Though neither Langford nor Smith, 28, have commented on the meaning behind the tattoo, the latter — who identifies as non-binary and uses the pronouns “they, them, and theirs” — has been open about their love of high heels and past body-image issues.
In 2019, Smith revealed that they underwent liposuction at the age of 12, and still battles insecurities about their physique.
“I still struggle with weight issues,” Smith said. “I always will. I feel like with social media, taking my top off on social media, it helped me.”
Around the same time, the singer celebrated their first time wearing high heels on the red carpet and discussed the significance of the shoe, saying, “There was a time where I thought I’d never ever ever be able to be myself like this in front of the industry or anyone.”