Sam Smith makes bold statement after sparking backlash for raunchy music video

Sam Smith has made a bold statement after receiving backlash for their new music video.

When they released the music video for 'I'm Not Here to Make Friends', many called for age restrictions to be added to platforms such as YouTube due to the content in it.

The video has quickly went viral for its saucy dance routines and revealing outfits, which saw performers wear corsets and suspenders.

In some scenes, dancers can be seen thrusting on a bed wearing only leather underwear, which has led some people to suggesting it is certainly not for children's viewing.

Following the backlash, Smith took to Instagram on Tuesday (31 January) posing shirtless in a pair of black shimmering heart nipple covers.

In the photo, the singer wore high-waisted black trousers and accessorised with pearl jewellery. They simply captioned the picture with a black love heart.

Many took to the comment section of the post to praise Smith for the statement.

RuPaul's Drag Race judge Michelle Visage simply wrote: "I love you."

"Don’t ever stop and just be happy," another fan added.

While a third remarked: "Don't listen to the haters or the bad critics."

@samsmith/ Instagram

Smith spoke about the raunchy video in a recent interview on The Graham Norton Show on the BBC.

They laughed off controversy while explaining the meaning behind the video.

The star said: "I went on a date with this guy and he just… people friend-zone me a lot on dates.

"And the next day I went into the studio and I was, like, I’m sick of, like, I’ve got enough friends. I don’t need any more friends."

Smith also spoke about filming in an opulent castle during the festive season, with other visitors clueless about what was going on.

“Yeah, they had Christmas parties [going on]. They were working around us. They had no idea what was going on in the rooms,” they joked.

While some viewers questioned what exactly went on in the castle, Smith reassured fans the set was very tame.

Universal Music

"Nothing seedy went on, guys. It wasn’t weird," they said. "…Weirder things had happened in that castle.”

Despite that, some were less than impressed with the music video, and have taken to social media to voice their concerns.

One Twitter user wrote: “No f***ing need, it's blatant tacky sexualised bulls**t. As a mum of teenagers I'm sick of seeing people using s**t like this to sell their music.

"I would be saying this about anyone who put out a video like this.

"It's not about #SamSmith gender, I don't care about their gender."

As the debate continues, Smith has brushed off the intense conversations surrounding their new music video.