Sam Smith courts controversy by visiting SeaWorld and bemoaning some popstars as "awful"

One of 2014's biggest success stories - the only artist to sell a million records in both the US and UK - and has recently been interviewed by Chaka Khan for V Magazine, in which he says: "Even when you meet them - I won't name names - but some of these pop stars are just awful... and they have not even had half the success that you [Khan] have had and yet you're so humble and kind."

The biggest bone of contention of the week has been his decision to visit SeaWorld Australia. After posting images on Instagram, some fans were less than pleased at his choice of vacation destination, and voiced their concerns, with some even threatening to boycott his music.

He responded to the minor uproar on Twitter, pointing out that the biggest qualm - SeaWorld's notorious treatment of whales - was totally baseless.

Seaworld Australia and Seaworld America are two very different things. Please remember this guys x

— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) January 5, 2015

There's no whales here

— SAM SMITH (@samsmithworld) January 5, 2015