How Myles Smith turned five years of therapy notes into a debut album

How Myles Smith turned five years of therapy notes into a debut albumImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Myles Smith has become one of the UK's biggest breakthrough artistsByLola SchroerPublished14 June 2026The day before I speak to Myles Smith, the singer posts a message on Instagram., externalHe is delaying by a week the release of his debut album, My Mess, My Heart, My Life.Smith's reasoning is strikingly honest. After years of touring and "constantly moving", he says he was close to burning out and wanted to make sure he could fully appreciate the moment he had spent years working towards. In many ways, the decision reflects the album itself. Built in part from five years of therapy notes, the album finds Smith revisiting moments of struggle, recovery and, as he puts it, "all the sort of messes in between". And it arrives after a whirlwind few years for Smith.At 28, the Luton born singer-songwriter has become one of Britain's biggest breakthrough artists in recent years. Blending folk-infused pop songs with anthemic choruses, he has built a reputation for emotionally open songwriting."Take my heart, don't break it, love me to my bones," he sings on 2024 hit Stargazing, a plea for connection that went on to become the best-selling British song of that year. Since then, Smith has won the Brits rising star award, made the Time 100 list of influential people, and amassed billions of streams.Image source, Rolling Stone/Getty ImagesImage caption, Myles Smith received the Rising Star award at last year's Brit AwardsYet for all the milestones, this debut album presents an artist less concerned with achievement and more focused on unpacking the experiences that shaped him pre-fame and turning them into a body of work."It was fun. It was intriguing. It was cathartic. It was a bit of everything, honestly," Smith says of that process.One of the album's most candid moments comes on a track called Sert...