Samuel Frederick Smith is an English singer and songwriter. He rose to fame in 2012 when he featured in Naughty Boy’s “La La La”. Sam released his debut album, “In The Lonely Hour” in 2014 many of whose songs reached the UK top ten and also won him four Grammy Awards. He also has three Brit Awards, three Billboard Music Awards, a Golden Globe, and an Academy Award. He is non-binary and uses gender-neutral singular they/them as pronouns for themselves. Smith said,
I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between.”
Sam has many interesting tattoos on their body. Let us take a look at them and the meanings behind them.
1. ‘Kissing Couple’ Tattoo
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Tattoo: The left shoulder of the singer has a tattoo of two men on it that are kissing.
Meaning: The tattoo on their arm is a representation of Marlon Brando and James Dean locking lips and stands for equal rights and speaks for itself.
2. ‘Bird’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The inside of Sam’s left forearm has a tattoo of a bird on it with a word tattooed next to it in the Urdu Language.
Meaning: The tattoo of the bird on their arm is a symbol of courage and freedom.
3. ‘Pair of Heels’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The inside of Sam’s left wrist has a tattoo of a pair of heels on it with two tiny stars near them.
Meaning: The tattoo of the red heels on Sam’s wrist is a tattoo that represents their love for heels. Sam said, “I feel just as much woman as I am man. I got teased for it. But there were also people respecting me for walking around like that in my school. I just buy everything, heels, dresses. I love a heel. I’ve got loads of heels at home.”
4. ‘Anchor’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The side of the singer’s left forearm has a tiny anchor tattooed on it.
Meaning: The tattoo of the anchor was a common tattoo for sailors but also represents the calm of the sea and hope in life.
5. ‘Equality and Symbol’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The left ring finger of the singer has an equal sign tattooed on it and the side of their left index finger has the common symbol representing a woman tattooed on it.
Meaning: The equality tattoo on their finger represents equality for everyone. Sam said, “This one is pretty self-explanatory. It shows my views on gay marriage and equality for all.” The tattoo of the symbol for the woman goes with the one on his other hand where the symbol for a man is tattooed to represent his non-binary nature.
6. Finger Tattoos
Tattoos: The right hand of the singer also has a few symbols tattooed on it. The side of their right index finger has the symbol for man tattooed on it. There is an arrowhead on their middle finger and two parallel lines on their right ring finger.
Meaning: The tattoo of the symbol for man represents Sam’s non-binary nature and the lines on their finger are inspired by an old mummy. Sam explained that the tattoo was, “inspired by one of the oldest tattoos ever found on a mummified body that was found buried alone in the ice.”
7. ‘Honesty’ and ‘alone’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The backside of Sam’s left arm has the word, “honesty” tattooed on it and the back of his right one has the word, “alone” tattooed on it. Both the words are tattooed near his elbows.
Meaning: The word “honesty” represents how they write their lyrics by heart, they wrote, “This is what I promise to be in my music. It’s what I live by.
In the words of @mariamena_official, ‘Honesty is my God.” The tattoo of the word, “alone” on his other arm represents his time of sadness. Smith said, “And lastly – this is just me being a melancholy t**t. Hah. I do see it as a small positive though. No longer lonely. Just alone. Which is ok. Thought I’d share these with you because I love them.”
8. ‘Dragon’ Tattoo
Tattoo: Sam’s right bicep has a tattoo of a cartoon dragon on it.
Meaning: The tattoo on his bicep is of Elliott, from the Disney film Pete’s Drago which is one of Sam’s favorites.
9. ‘III’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The Roman Number, III is tattooed on the side of the singer’s right forearm.
Meaning: The tattoo of the number represents 3. It is a matching tattoo that Sam and his sisters, Mabel and Lily got to represent their love and the bond that they share.
10. ‘B’ Tattoo
Tattoo: The singer has another ink on his right index finger. The letter “B” is tattooed on Sam’s finger with a tiny design behind the letter.
Meaning: The tattoo of the letter represents his love for his former partner, Brandon Flynn. Sam is currently in a relationship with Francois Rocci.
11. Neck Tattoo
Tattoo: The back of the singer’s neck has the words, “TPH-50HR” tattooed on it.
Meaning: The word on the back of his neck is the title of a new upcoming album. The name of the album is inspired by the address of the family home he grew up in.
12. Side Tattoo
Tattoo: The left side of the singer’s body has another tattoo on it that has not been revealed in any of his photos.
13. Portrait Tattoo
Tattoo: ‘Portrait’ tattoo on his arm.
Meaning: In April 2021, Sam got the tattoo of his portrait to represent his nonbinary identity. The tattoo was inked by the tattoo artist, Miles Langford. On April 22, 2021, Miles uploaded the picture of this tattoo on his Instagram handle with the caption,
ICON @samsmith 💘Thanks for getting tattooed. Swipe to see Sam’s new tattoo and for a good time”
14. ‘Gloria’ Tattoo
Celebrating the release of their “Gloria” album and the accompanying tour, Sam Smith showcased a new tattoo on their hand on July 25.
15. McDonald’s Cherub Tattoo
On August 14, Smith had a tattoo inked in tribute to their fondness for McDonald’s. Positioned on the back of their left shoulder, the tattoo depicts a cherub resting against a Big Mac and holding a soft drink. They unveiled the tattoo on Instagram with the caption “GOLDEN ARCHES FOREVER,” giving a shoutout to the tattoo creator, Askhat Kobekpaev.
16. ‘Romance’ on Stomach
In November 2022, Smith added two new tattoos to their collection, both done by Zachary Robinson Bailey, a tattoo artist from Brooklyn. The larger tattoo is placed on the singer’s midsection and spells out “ROMANCE” in bold, custom-made ‘drippy text,’ as described by the artist.
17. Cloud Tattoo on Ankle
They have a small cloud shaped tattoo on their ankle.
18. Floral Design on Hand
They have a tiny floral design on their hand.
19. Hand Tattoo
This floral tattoo is right below the ‘Gloria’ design.
20. Anchor on Neck
During their visit to Brooklyn, Smith also received an anchor tattoo positioned at the center of their neck, just above the collarbones. They shared the significance of this particular tattoo, which they hold in high regard, in a conversation with SiriusXM. “I’ve got my little anchor on my neck, which I love, which symbolizes me and my beautiful fans and my singing and stuff like that, so I love that.”
21. Pig With a Crown Tattoo
On June 19, 2023, the singer showed off a new tattoo on their upper thigh on Instagram. It’s a picture of a small pig wearing a crown. The star didn’t say what the tattoo means, but they did mention in the post that “June has been vulgar,” which is a nod to their new song with Madonna. You can also spot the tattoo two minutes into their music video.
22. Betty Boop Tattoo
They have a tattoo of Betty Boop on their upper thigh, but Smith hasn’t shared what it means to them.
23. Strawberry Tattoo
Smith describes having a “sexy strawberry” tattoo on their left thigh. They happily talked about it on the Jennifer Hudson Show, saying, “It’s a strawberry, and she’s in, like, heels and fishnets, and she’s got a bra. Yeah, it’s great.”
24. Flower and Heart Tattoo
Smith has a detailed tattoo of a rose growing from a heart on the inside of their right forearm. They mentioned in an interview that it’s a tribute to a poet they admire, Emma Bunton.
25. Rose Tattoo
The singer sports a rose design tattooed on the outside of their right forearm. While they haven’t disclosed the personal significance of this tattoo, a rose is commonly interpreted as a symbol of love and passion.
26. Warrior Tattoo
Smith has a small tattoo of a warrior located above their left hip on the back. So far, Smith hasn’t revealed the specific details or the meaning behind this tattoo.
27. Puffer Fish Tattoo
One of the newest tattoos in Smith’s extensive collection is a puffer fish on their left forearm. When Jennifer Hudson questioned the reason for choosing a fish tattoo, Smith humorously answered, “I don’t know, honestly.” They also described their impulsive approach to getting tattoos. “I’m quite reckless. I like, just, on the day of, ‘let’s go for it; just do it,’ because I’ve got so many bad ones that I just don’t care anymore.”
28. Spitfire Plane Tattoo
Smith sports a tattoo of a Spitfire plane on their right ankle, a choice made seemingly on impulse. “I got a Spitfire plane, dunno why, when I was drunk in Malia,” they humorously remarked about the tattoo, noting, “I wanna look a bit scary. I like when the tattoos look a bit, like, masc, but they actually have nice, friendly undertones.” During a conversation with SiriusXM, Smith also shared that this was their very first tattoo and recounted the amusing circumstances that led to its selection. “I got my first ever tattoo – it was so weird. I was drunk at 17 in Greece, and I had these earrings that were like diamond Spitfires – fake diamond Spitfires – and I got a Spitfire on my ankle, which is just so weird,” they said.
29. Ice Cream Cone Tattoo
Smith has a colorful ice cream cone tattooed just above the ankle on their left leg. This particular tattoo doesn’t carry a specific significance for the artist. “I’ve got, like, an ice cream on my ankle, and I don’t know why it’s there,” they admitted to Heart Radio when discussing whether all their tattoos have deeper meanings.
30. Musical Note Tattoo on Bicep
Their left bicep features a line of musical notes that extend down the arm. This tattoo probably represents their deep love and enthusiasm for music.
