Music

Pop star Sam Smith doesn't know who Thom Yorke is

by Jeremy Mersereau

Pro Tip: As Sam Smith is about to find out, nothing enrages late Gen X’ers and early Millennials like not worshipping at the altar of Thom Yorke. Just be on the lookout for derisively hurled Doc Martens and pagers.

During a press conference after the Golden Globes where Smith took home an award for his theme song to the James Bond film Spectre, he apparently blanked on just who the Radiohead vocalist was. He replied “Thom Yorke?” when asked about the band’s unofficial theme to the film.

Either Smith genuinely didn’t know the name of his fellow English music star, or he just has a black belt in throwing shade. Based on Smith’s genuinely deer-in-the-headlights reaction to the question, I’d bet on the former. Watch his response in the video below:

“Yes, I was a little bit surprised,” Smith continued. “Not going to lie, but I haven’t listened to it personally because I did the [official] Spectre theme song.” OK nevermind, maybe he’s just a Zen master of the crypto-insult, or negging, which wouldn’t surprise me from someone who calls his album In The Lonely Hour.

Then again, Sam Smith is only 23 years old, which makes Radiohead about as relevant to him as say, a Bop-It.