• June 3, 1998
• Myles Smith is an English singer-songwriter from Luton in Bedfordshire who blends folk, Americana, and pop influences. Themes of love, loss, and finding your own path weave through his lyrics.
• The 9-year-old Myles found himself drawn to artists like Green Day, Ed Sheeran, Adele, and Labrinth, and he wished to emulate his musical heroes. Myles' mom, while supportive, wasn't entirely convinced. "When I'd exhausted every other avenue and told my mum 'I want to do this' she said 'alright, I'll get you a guitar but I'm not going to get you lessons. You'll have to teach yourself a little bit to prove you're going to stick with this thing,'" he recalled to Official Charts.
  
  Myles embraced the challenge. He taught himself guitar and piano, spending his high school downtime not in the cafeteria but in the music room honing his craft. His early songwriting attempts might have been "terrible" (his words!), but Myles' determination was unwavering. Fueled by idols like Chris Martin, he kept practicing, dreaming of one day making music his life.
• Smith took the traditional route, attending university and landing a "real" job with a degree in Sociology and Social Policy. But the corporate world couldn't hold his passion. In August 2020, he started posting covers of artists like Coldplay, Mumford & Sons and Ed Sheeran on TikTok. Finally, in 2022, he took the leap, leaving his job to fully pursue music.
• In February 2023, his cover of The Neighbourhood's "Sweater Weather" went viral, earning him a record deal with Sony Music. They released his debut EP, You Promised a Lifetime, in March 2024.
• Smith co-owns a diversity, equality, and inclusion company with his sister, working with clients like Deloitte and E&Y.
• Myles Smith was the 2025 winner if the Brit Award for Rising Star. Past winners include Adele, Sam Smith, Florence & The Machine, Sam Fender, Ellie Goulding, Jessie J, James Bay and The Last Dinner Party.
• In April 2025, Smith was included in the Time 100 list of the world's most influential people, alongside the likes of Serena Williams and Mark Zuckerberg.
• Myles Smith has been performing since he was about 11 and loves it, but writing is when he feels the most exposed, because he explained to Audacy there's "no real stop gap" between his brain and what ends up on the record. He tries not to polish things into what he thinks people want and instead writes as authentically as possible.

Comments

More Songfacts:

DowntownPetula Clark

When Petula Clark reached #1 in the US with "Downtown" in 1965, she became the first female singer from England to hit #1 in the US during the Rock Era (after 1955).

We're Not Gonna Take ItTwisted Sister

Musically, the Twisted Sister song "We're Not Gonna Take It" is based on the Christmas tune "O Come All Ye Faithful."

You Don't Know How It FeelsTom Petty

MTV reversed the word "joint" in Tom Petty's "You Don't Known How It Feels" so it was unintelligible, but gave the video a VMA anyway.

Just Give Me A ReasonPink

Pink wrote "Just Give Me A Reason" about how one partner can feel jilted over something trivial, like how her boyfriend passes her the butter.

E.T.Katy Perry

Katy Perry's song "E.T." came from a beat originally intended for the rap group Three Six Mafia. When her producer accidentally pulled up the beat, Perry asked to use it.

Cat's In The CradleHarry Chapin

Harry Chapin's wife Sandy wrote the lyrics to "Cat's In The Cradle," which were actually about her first husband.

Editor's Picks

Chrissie Hynde of The PretendersSongwriter Interviews

The rock revolutionist on songwriting, quitting smoking, and what she thinks of Rush Limbaugh using her song.

Evolution Of The Prince SymbolSong Writing

The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.

Facebook, Bromance and Email - The First Songs To Use New WordsSong Writing

Where words like "email," "thirsty," "Twitter" and "gangsta" first showed up in songs, and which songs popularized them.

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Allen Toussaint - "Southern Nights"They're Playing My Song

A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.