Sam Smith announced their engagement to designer Christian Cowan. Smith started writing the album's opening track the night before their first date with the 32-year-old designer. "For me, there's something radical about being queer in this time, in this world, and singing love songs," Sam Smith said, according to Billboard. Dating whispers started in December 2022. Smith and Cowan posed for a photo with former President Joe Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden at the White House.