V Magazine 121 is on newsstands now. To order a copy click here, and sign up for our newsletter for exclusive stories from the new issue.

To illustrate our V family values, we revisit some of our most scrapbook-worthy clips. Ahead, singer-songwriter Sam Smith reflects on how V119 cover star Lizzo has impacted him.

I am such a huge Lizzo fan… A few years ago, when “Good As Hell” came out, I remember the first time I heard it, I was actually getting ready in my bathroom for a date. It had a great message to hear at that moment. I have struggled with body image issues my entire life and I never really found an outlet for that—even in my early career, as I’ve spoken about in V. [Editor’s note: “When I was shooting my first music videos, I just wasn’t happy with the way I looked, so I was trying to control the way the camera moved. I got a bit obsessive. I was constantly looking in the mirror, pinching my waist, weighing myself every day,” Smith told us in V111.] [Lizzo’s] music played a huge, huge part of my discovery of self-love and body love. [When I interviewed her for V119: The Music Issue], I hadn’t properly met her [in person] yet. But everything [she said was] so beautiful. [That] it always comes down to the relationship between you and yourself. You can’t change the world, you just need to be yourself, unforgivingly. [We both believe that]. And I think that also includes showing all different sides of yourself. Her music, to me, and the way [she came across] was very powerful and positive, and very strong. What [she said, and what she does with her music] is massively moving things forward.