Luton singer songwriter Myles Smith has spoken openly about the toll of his stardom, telling fans his success has come during the hardest period of his life.
The 27-year-old, who has become one of the country’s most streamed new artists with more than one billion on Spotify alone this year, said the demands of constant touring left him struggling with his mental health despite the huge achievements on stage and online.
Smith has spent most of 2025 on the road, with his rise powered by chart success after his single Stargazing became a defining hit, with tours of the USA and supporting Ed Sheeran around Europe. He played live last week on BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, playing his latest hit ‘Stay (If You Wanna Dance)’.
He won the Breakthrough Award at the Rolling Stone UK Awards 2025, was named in Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people and was awarded the BRITs Rising Star for 2025, following in the footsteps of the last pop star from Luton to win big at the industry awards, Paul Young, who scooped British Breakthrough Act win in 1984.
In a post to fans on social media, as musicians and fans all over the country revealed their Spotify Wrapped numbers, Smith said the excitement of his career often masks the pressure behind it.
“The @spotify numbers are amazing to see but the truth is it has never really been about the numbers for me. This year has been the hardest year of my life. I have been on the road longer than I ever have. I’ve spent no more than 3 days at home in a row. I have pushed my mind and my body further than I expected.
“I have struggled with my mental health. I have had moments where my body has felt done. And I have had days where I genuinely questioned whether I will ever have the career I have dreamed about since I was a kid.”
Smith said the fear of slipping off the radar hangs over every performance and he added: “People see the highlights of this job and I am grateful for every part of it but what you do not always see is the fear that sits behind it. The fear that you could slip. The fear that people might stop caring. The fear that everything you have built could disappear overnight. It is real. It sits with you every single day even when you are smiling or standing on a stage.”
The loyalty of fans had kept him going through periods of doubt and he said: “That is why I am so grateful for all of you. Because even with the fear and the doubt you still show up. You still listen. You still travel. You leave your house in the pouring rain on a weekday tired from life and you come to see me play. That has kept me going more than you will ever know. It has given me hope. It has made me excited for what comes next.”
He thanked the team travelling with him and collaborators including Sheeran, Lainey Wilson, Shaboozey, James Bay and Bastille’s Dan Smith. He also praised his producers, management, label, family and friends for supporting him through the pressures of life on tour.
Smith added that he is already working on major plans for 2026 and urged fans to stay with him as the next phase of his career begins.
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