<\/p>\n
\n\tWhen Myles Smith initially posted a teaser of what would become the soaring folk-pop hit \u201cStargazing\u201d to his TikTok<\/a> in early April, he had no idea what would become of it \u2014 both in terms of its overwhelming fan response, but more pressingly, how the then-still-unfinished preview would sound when it ultimately became a completed product.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAs the song was gaining momentum, I was like, \u2018Oh snap, I\u2019m gonna have to finish this thing,\u2019 \u201d Smith tells Billboard<\/em>. A week after making that initial post, which featured him singing a stripped-down rendition of the song\u2019s captivating hook over a simple acoustic guitar, Smith unveiled a studio demo<\/a> of \u201cStargazing,\u201d which he continued to use as a teaser \u2014 generating 80 million views across several videos \u2014 until its official release on May 10.<\/p>\n \n\tSoulful melodies, heartfelt lyrics and an online following of fans hungry for more made the perfect recipe for the 26-year-old Luton, England native\u2019s debut on the Billboard<\/em> charts. With 6.7 million official U.S. streams in its opening week, according to Luminate, the track became Smith\u2019s first-ever Billboard Hot 100<\/a> entry at No. 77 on the chart dated May 26. And the song is continuing to heat up as summer rolls in \u2014 it reaches a new No. 51 high on this week\u2019s list, boosting Smith into the top five on Billboard<\/em>\u2018s Emerging Artists<\/a> chart for the first time as well.<\/p>\n \n\tAs \u201cStargazing\u201d continues to shine, Smith is taking it all in, without abandoning his go-to strategy: sharing glimpses of unfinished projects with fans along the way. In the past few weeks alone, Smith has already posted demos of the pop-infused folk ballad \u201cWhispers<\/a>\u201d and the charming love song \u201cBe Mine<\/a>\u201d to his TikTok. \u201cIt could be a \u2018Stargazing\u2019 part two,\u201d he teases of the latter track. \u201cYou never know with these things. I was itching to get it out.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tBelow, Smith opens up about the cosmic growth of \u201cStargazing,\u201d balancing social media with mental health, his experience being on tour, his dream collaboration list and more. <\/p>\n \n\tWhere did you get the idea for \u201cStargazing,\u201d and how did it come together?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIt was something that was birthed out of being with the people that I loved in a space that I loved. I was out in Malibu in L.A. [in January], my first time ever there, and distinctly different from where I grew up. I was with songwriter Jesse Fink and a songwriter-producer Peter Fenn, who I\u2019ve collaborated with before. I just signed with my label [RCA Records], and I was like, \u201cI want to write something that\u2019s really warm, fun and happy.\u201d I came up with the hook pretty instantaneously. <\/p>\n \n\tIt was just us jumping around, about day five into writing \u2014 looking at each other with guitars and having the time of our lives. It came from the idea of the people that you love, the things that you love, always being present in your life, maybe in a way you don\u2019t recognize or see. And then that coming into light later in the day, and that euphoric moment of realizing that. The whole song wasn\u2019t finished on that day, but the embers of it definitely were. From the very moment that that melody was found, the warmth in the room was infectious.<\/p>\n \n\tWhere did the \u201cStargazing\u201d metaphor come from?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tIt jumped out of nowhere. It was getting late in Malibu, and we\u2019re looking over at the ocean and the sun setting, and in that beautiful moment, I stood there and it was quite cathartic. I was like, \u201cDamn, I\u2019m doing the thing that I\u2019ve really wanted to be doing while looking at this beautiful night sky setting.\u201d We were like, \u201cOh snap, is this what it\u2019s called?\u201d We threw the word in and it found its life there.<\/p>\n \n\tHow much did the initial recording change from the final product?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tAt the time, it was just really the hook and the bare bones of the verse and melody. I think that\u2019s the exciting part of where we are now in music. Not everything has to be done, and not everything has to be perfect. In fact, the process of getting there was very much a reciprocal relationship between me and my fans. Watching them react to it, I was even more inspired to finish the song. We kept the bones of the demo in there, and we embellished it to bring it to studio standard. We wanted to not step too far away from the magic that had been created.<\/p>\n \n\tSo when you posted that initial snippet on TikTok, you didn\u2019t have the whole song done yet?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tNo, the whole song was not done by that point but it was something that we knew was special. \u201cSolo\u201d and \u201cMy Home\u201d \u2014 my two songs before that \u2014 were a similar process. I just fell in love with the bare bones of the song. I\u2019ve got this really itchy finger in which I can\u2019t wait to put something out. I know for a lot of artists, it\u2019s about putting out what\u2019s perfect. But for me, there\u2019s so much beauty in imperfection.<\/p>\n \n\tA big part of why I love the audience that I have is that they bear with me as I get through things and as I explore what something should sound like. Them being part of my creative process is integral to the music being what it is and to it connecting the way that it connects. I\u2019m forever thankful to the feedback online. It really matters in that final mastering and finishing of any song that I make.<\/p>\n \n\tHas there been any reaction to its chart success from friends or family that stands out?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tMy mum was exactly like me, and was like, \u201cIs this real? Are you being scammed?\u201d [Laughs<\/em>.] We got on FaceTime and I got about 50 texts from friends and family because my mum had gone mental on all the group chats. Especially here in the U.K., the reality of a U.K. artist being on the Billboard<\/em> [charts] isn\u2019t very big, so when you hear it, it does sound a little bit like a dream. Then it happened, and we were like, \u201cOh my word. We\u2019re making waves across the pond.\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tIt\u2019s so fulfilling and so inspiring, the fact that I\u2019m able to do this, and follow so many great British artists. To have support across the water and feel like I have a home away from home has just been so humbling, and such a privilege of an experience. Charting on the Hot 100 has such a profound impact on an artist\u2019s journey, to really gain confidence and validity in how they think and feel about their art and their music. <\/p>\n \n\tDo you have a favorite interaction or use of the song on TikTok?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tThe ones that really get me are the wedding ones. This is someone\u2019s biggest day of their life to this point, potentially. And they\u2019ve chosen my voice, a kid from a million miles away who grew up in a town that no one\u2019s ever heard of, as their soundtrack. It stops me in my tracks every time that I see it, and it reminds me that the thing that we do as artists really does have an impact on people\u2019s lives.<\/p>\n \n\tSometimes on the internet, you can be so distracted by the things that don\u2019t matter. When you\u2019re pulled back into reality by those moments, it really amplifies the role of an artist \u2014 but also the beauty of the music industry and moving towards social media in a global perspective. I\u2019m so lucky to be a part of a generation of artists who are doing that.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat is your current relationship with social media like?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tMy relationship is healthier than what it was. We naturally compare ourselves to people so much and look at people doing amazing things. For a long time, I took that as a reflection of what I wasn\u2019t<\/em> doing. That wasn\u2019t great for me. But I started to use social media, for lack of a better word, in a more selfish way \u2014 like, \u201cHey, I want to use this as a tool to find my community, build relationships and network.\u201d I started focusing on what was important to me, and it became such an incredible part of my artist journey. <\/p>\n \n\tNow I have a community that thinks, feels and expresses themselves in such similar ways and teaches me things about myself and the world that I didn\u2019t know. I see it now as an opportunity to connect with people across the world.<\/p>\n \n\tYou\u2019re currently on tour in Europe. What\u2019s that experience been like?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI did a mini-run of shows at the start of this year, and that was my first moment of bridging the gap between online and real life. It was such a surreal moment. Being on stage and being in cities I\u2019ve never been and people singing lyrics back to me, it stopped me in my tracks every single night. This tour is that, just a little bit bigger. It\u2019s still the exact same feeling. It feels like I\u2019m living a dream. People ask me, \u201cIs this normal yet?\u201d For me, it\u2019s not. I don\u2019t ever want it to be normal. <\/p>\n \n\tThe magic of living your dream and seeing it every night is what I think what music\u2019s all about. To see people in real life, hear their stories and hardships and sing, laugh, cry in a room together is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I\u2019ve loved every moment of this tour. I can\u2019t wait to go to the States and run it back.<\/p>\n \n\tWhat\u2019s next for you after tour?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tAfter tour I will be taking\u2026 I\u2019m lying. I\u2019m not gonna be taking a break. I don\u2019t have time to take a break! I\u2019m going to be straight back in the studio, writing and recording more music. The part I love about what I do, and the part about working with the people I work with and the label that I now call home at RCA, is that they really support my vision of being able to put out music, and not always having to wait.<\/p>\n \n\tWho are some of your dream collaborators?<\/strong><\/p>\n \n\tI\u2019m a huge Mumford & Sons stan. I love Noah Kahan \u2014 I think what he does is just unbelievable. I can\u2019t think of someone who\u2019s a better songwriter at this current stage. Hozier is a GOAT of GOATs. But if I had to pick an all-time dream, it\u2019d be Chris Martin. I will forever be a Coldplay stan.<\/p>\n