Sam Smith is no longer dancing with a stranger. The Grammy-winning singer has confirmed their engagement to fashion designer Christian Cowan after three years of dating. The 34-year-old artist, who is non-binary and uses they/them pronouns, casually shared the news in an interview with The New York Times, referring to Cowan, 32, as their fiancé.
The engagement announcement comes ahead of Smith’s fifth studio album, Hazel Eyes, which drops on August 12. The record’s title is a sweet tribute to Cowan, named after the color of his eyes. The album charts the course of their relationship, with Smith revealing that the first track, “Everlasting Love,” was actually started the night before their first date and finished after they got together.
Smith and Cowan were first linked in December 2022 after posing for a photo with then-President Joe Biden at the White House following the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act. Cowan, a British-born fashion designer whose clientele includes Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga, and Cardi B, designed the couple’s coordinated looks for their Met Gala red carpet debut in May 2024.
The couple grew up just 10 minutes apart near Cambridge, England, but only met online four years ago . Smith has since moved to New York to be with Cowan. They were reportedly overheard discussing their engagement before arriving at the 2026 Met Gala, with Cowan spotted wearing a large square-cut yellow diamond ring by Cartier.
For Smith, the engagement and new album represent a deeply personal milestone. “For me, there’s something radical about being queer in this time, in this world, and singing love songs,” they told the Times. “I’m not going to allow the poison that I read and that I see to affect my way of loving”. It marks the first time the “Stay With Me” singer has written “about requited love”
