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October 20, 2020

Sam Smith explains how they were able to accept their gender identity

WATCH: Our favorite Sam Smith moments for their birthday

Sam Smith says they have "always" identified as non-binary, but explained how they were finally able to come to terms with their gender identity.

"For me, what triggered everything was the work I was doing with my body issues," the non-binary singer tells U.K.’s The Sunday Times. "I always had body dysmorphia. As I started to address that, I started to address my gender and realized that I was holding myself to these ideals of how a man should look."

MORE: Grammy-winning singer Sam Smith changes pronouns to they/them
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"As I looked into it, I did therapy, I realized there was more to it," they continued. "I have girl’s thighs and I have girl breasts, too. It started to awaken this conversation that had always been in the back of my mind."

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Now, Smith says, they’re much more accepting of who they are and what they look like.

"In the words of Rihanna, I have been gifted with a 'fluctuating body,'" Smith shared, referencing a Rihanna quote from three years ago. "I can lose weight, I can put weight on quickly, I am a shapeshifter. When I read Rihanna, I felt very seen."

Smith first came out as non-binary in May 2019. Six months later, the singer changed their pronouns to they/them, announcing the change in an Instagram post.

The singer is set to drop their new album "Love Goes" on Oct. 30.