Skip to main content

Sam Smith and the ‘gentle revolution’ of ‘My Guy’

▶ Watch Video: Sam Smith and the “gentle revolution” of “My Guy”

Rolling Stone writer Barry Walters, whose new book, “Mighty Real,” is a history of LGBTQ music, explains what a difference a word can make:

mighty-real-cover-viking-900.jpg

Viking

When I hear love songs sung by straight men, I mentally switch the gender of their nouns so I can relate to what they’re singing about. This is what gay people do. Most hits aren’t designed for us, not even those by us.
Queer musical content ordinarily gets marginalized, unless it comes from a juggernaut like Sam Smith, a gay but mainstream and multi-million-record-selling Brit.

Unlike “Unholy,” Smith’s 2022 chart-topper with Kim Petras, there’s nothing confrontational about his new single, “My Guy.”
The reason why I’m mentioning it is its simple use of a masculine noun to denote a same-sex relationship. For someone of Smith’s fame, that’s news. LGBTQ pop is rarely this straightforward.

Little Richard helped invent rock ‘n’ roll by being nearly nonsensical. Then, David Bowie made serious art out of complex gender provocation. Rebels like them are usually those with the least to lose.

That’s how it was at the Stonewall Inn 57 years ago, when butch gals, nelly boys, and drag queens got fed up with hostile New York cops. They fought back.

This summer, Sam Smith fights back with a hit-worthy ballad where one little repeated noun makes a big advancement.

To hear Sam Smith performs “My Guy” click on the video player below:

You can dream it all that you want, but you can’t have my boy
You can’t have him you can try try try
A breath of fresh air, a rose on the vine
Oh, I could just stare at him all the time time time
He’s my guy

Revolution has never sounded so gentle.

READ AN EXCERPT: “Mighty Real: A History of LGBTQ Music, 1969-2000” by Barry Walters

For more info:

     
Story produced by John Goodwin. Editor: Ed Givnish. 

Danish high schoolers will have to verbally defend written assignments, in government move to combat AI cheating

By CNN
(CNN) — High school students in Denmark will be required to verbally defend their written assignments as part of emergency government measures aimed at combating AI cheating.A verbal defense will be needed for all exams written at home, Denmark’s Ministry of Education announced in a statement Thursday, adding that it will work with schools to create the best framework for this.The rule, which comes into force immediately, applies to students in upper secondary education, which typically begins around age 16. It will include the approximately 9,000 students enrolled in the country’s two-year Higher Preparatory Examination program, who have to submit major written assignments each year, according to the ministry.The ministry is also calling on high schools to use tools to monitor students’ screens during exams, as well as a firewall to filter the content they can access during exams and in class.In addition, it is encouraging schools to get students to complete more assignments in school, under controlled environments, to make supervision easier.“Unfortunately, we have a problem with students using AI to cheat in upper secondary school,” Education Minister Magnus Heunicke said in the statement. “Action is needed now, and we are starting with these three initiatives.”“In the coming period, I will be engaging with schools, teachers and students about what can be done both in the short and longer term to ensure that AI does not undermine students’ skills, academic abilities and, not least, their ability to think for themselves,” he continued.‘Important first step’Three upper secondary school organisations — representing school leaders, teachers and students — welcomed the moves but called for more long-term solutions due to the “rapid pace of technological development,” the high schools association, Danske Gymnasier, said in a statement Thursday.Anders Frikke, chair of the Danish Association of Upper Secondary School Teachers (GL), said teachers “appreciate” that the education minister “has acted both swiftly and decisively. However, we also have additional proposals that we hope the Minister will consider.”“These include requiring students to clearly declare when AI has been used in major written assignments and ensuring that preparation for oral examinations takes place without access to AI,” he added.While students also “welcome” the emergency initiatives, “it is important that the increased amount of written work carried out at school is organised in a way that genuinely strengthens students’ learning, rather than simply moving the work from home to school,” Oscar Tønsberg Hoffmann, chair of the Danish Upper Secondary Students’ Association (DGS), said in the statement.He added that it is “essential that students have the opportunity to contribute to the development of longer-term solutions.”The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2026 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
Read Next Story

Related Stories

Latest News
Saudi Arabia turns to Muslim military heavyweights in landmark defense pact as Iran war closes in
50 seconds ago

Saudi Arabia turns to Muslim military heavyweights in landmark defense pact as Iran war closes in

Appeals court says Trump needs congressional approval for White House ballroom

Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy announces he will vote for Todd Blanche to be attorney general

Appeals court blocks construction of White House ballroom

Proposal to curb ‘vertical drinking’ in London’s West End pubs meets with rage and resistance