Sam Smith Talks Gay Slurs in Rolling Stone

Sam Smith has had a busy month! The crooner, who is up for four Grammy awards, has rebuffed insults from Howard Stern, reached a songwriting settlement with Tom Petty, and announced his breakup from his model boyfriend on Instagram. Now, he's landed his first Rolling Stone cover.

In excerpts from the cover story, Smith recalls a time when he was walking with his father in their hometown when someone drove by and yelled "faggot." Smith says: "I was just embarrassed that my dad had to see that, because I can only imagine how you feel as a parent."

Smith also replies to Howard Stern's attack, after the radio host called him an "ugly motherfucker," and said, "He's fat, I love it." Smith posted a revealing selfie on his Instagram earlier this week, and told Rolling Stone: "I just want to lose weight for the Grammys, if I'm honest." The singer goes on saying he's proud that he has a different look from other pop stars, but admits that sometimes he wishes he had "abs like Bieber."

In the interview, Smith also talks about being compared to Adele, competing against Beyonce at the Grammys, his Lady Gaga obsession, and his favorite Britney Spears album. Read highlights from the cover story here.