Sam Smith's new album is a "love letter" to fiance Christian Cowan.
The Too Good at Goodbyes hitmaker - who confirmed last month he had got engaged to the fashion designer after more than three years of dating - is keen not to share "too much" about their relationship but praised their partner for being so supportive during the process of making Hazel Eyes.
Appearing on The New Yorker Radio Hour, Sam said: “He’s been so beautiful and encouraging through the whole process of this record.
“It’s been the balancing act of, ‘How much do you share?’ Not wanting to share too much but also it’s about him and it’s a love letter to him as a record and of this time that we’re in."
The 34-year-old star admitted they had always been "very scared" of falling in love because they "thought it would be" challenging to write music from a place of happiness for the first time.
They said: “I was scared. I was always very scared of falling in love when I was younger, especially after In the Lonely Hour doing so well and changing my life in so many ways.
"I was like, I better stay miserable. But I knew that when it was time and I was truly in love and I could really pull from that place, that I didn’t want to be scared of all of that. I found it a very deepening and enriching thing to pull from as an artist.”
At a time of division in the world, the Unholy singer recently explained they see their new album as "radical" because their contentment with Christian can be seen as an act of resistance.
They told the New York Times newspaper: "For me, there’s something radical about being queer in this time, in this world, and singing love songs.
“I’m not going to allow the poison that I read and that I see to affect my way of loving.”
Sam recently admitted they are feeling "maternal" and "hungry" to have children.
Discussing new single Oh Mother, Sam told BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Sara Cox: "'In this song I was just trying to access my mum's fury and protection that comes to save the day when a child gets hurt or heartbroken.
"As I'm getting older I feel like I'm becoming more maternal and more definitely hungry one day to have children myself and things like that.
"So it definitely felt like a maturing theme to step into for me, which was really great."
