Sam Smith Apollo clips

SAM COOKS UPTOWN: Capitol has just surprise-released three songs from Sam Smith’s Tuesday night performance at the Apollo Theatre on VEVO. It was some show, according to New York Times reviewer Jon Caramanica, who writes, “For the young British soul singer Sam Smith, the Apollo was a sort of validation, maybe a homecoming, definitely a dream fulfilled. For just over an hour on Tuesday—the same day his debut album, In the Lonely Hour (Capitol), was released—he treated the venue as something priceless, and in turn gave the stage the sort of meaning it once had night in and night out.” He was joined during the encore by Mary J. Blige, who dueted with him on an impassioned “Stay With Me.” Take a look and listen. (6/19a)