Singer-songwriter Myles Smith has credited Luton with keeping him grounded after a whirlwind year that’s seen him become a global superstar.
The 26-year-old, whose track Stargazing took him to beyond a billion streams and international acclaim, returns to the Radio 1 Big Weekend, though this time on the main stage in Liverpool, a year on from his homecoming at Stockwood Park on the Introducing stage.
That packed field hinted at the potential, but few could have predicted he’d become the biggest selling British artist of 2024, with tracks spending a full year in the top 40, sold out shows across the world, a Brit Award – including an important and memorable speech – a slot on former US President Barack Obama’s summer playlist, and a place on TIME’s 100 most influential people of 2025. He’s even been memorialised on the new art deco mural around the old ABC Cinema on George Street.
And this month he’s won an Ivor Novello award and just released a deeply personal second EP, ‘A Minute, A Moment’ ahead of supporting his hero Ed Sheeran on his European tour. But though he’s a genuine globetrotter now.
“Winning the Ivor meant so much,” Smith said in a post on social media. “It’s not just about charts or streams – it’s recognition for the writing, the craft. I’ve always poured everything into the lyrics.”
Smith continues that lyrical honesty on his newly released EP, ‘A Minute, A Moment’, which he describes as “a reflection of where I’m at right now – the calm, the chaos, the healing”.
He told fans: “This record is about change, but also about staying grounded. It’s about remembering the roots – the people and the places that made you.”
For Smith, those roots are firmly planted in his hometown.
“There’s something about being back in Luton that resets everything for me. Luton’s always been home. It shaped me,” he told the BBC.
“I try to stay close to my people. My family, my team, my friends – they keep me level,” he said. “And I write. Even if it’s not for a song, just getting stuff out helps.”
He remembers “a few moments” growing up in the town that gave him the push he needed. “I had a music teacher who really believed in me – and my mum, always pushing me to keep going, even when I wasn’t sure. I used to play little open mics, local gigs when I could find them. Nothing glamorous, but those nights taught me a lot.”
Now performing on world stages – often in a Luton Town FC shirt – Smith wants young musicians in the area to know they don’t need anyone’s permission to start.
“Don’t wait for permission,” he said. “If you love it, do it. Write the songs, upload them, play the gigs – no matter how small. Keep going even when it feels like no-one’s listening, because someone will.
“I’m proof that you don’t have to come from a big city or a fancy school to make it work. You’ve just got to stay honest and consistent.”
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