Since finding viral fame on TikTok in 2021, Sam Tompkins has risen to become one of the most important and fastest-selling British musicians of his generation, with four million monthly listeners on Spotify, a combined social media following of more than 2.2m and famous fans from Drake and Justin Bieber, to Sam Smith and Fred Again.

Hailing from Brighton, the 26-year-old former busker’s incredible vocal range and soul-stirring songs have made him a globally adored artist in just a few short years, with fans coming out in their thousands for his 2023 tour. The US leg included a stop at The Troubadour in LA, with Guy Ritchie and the Biebers in attendance, while the UK and European tour kick-started with a sold-out show at London’s Eventim Apollo in November.

Songs performed include Sam’s early anthem Lose It All (17.3m streams on Spotify) and much of the Who Do You Pray To EP, which rocketed into the top 10 of the UK Album Chart when it was released in 2022, as well as unreleased material from his upcoming debut album Hi My Name Is Insecure. Made up of 16 tracks, the record is a celebration of Sam’s genre-defying signature sound, which he describes as “emotive songwriter, cinematic pop”, spanning the breadth of human experience from love to loss.

Sam has been a staunch advocate for mental health since the start of his career, with recent events in his personal life only reaffirming this mission. Tackling themes like social anxiety and depression, Sam’s music is a reassuring balm for those who are struggling. If there’s one thing he hopes fans take away, he says, it’s “that a problem shared is a problem halved”. “And I want everyone to feel that there’s nothing in this world that you might feel sad about that is shameful”.