SAM SMITH RULES, GLOBALLY AND LOCALLY

Sam Smith is on top of the world.

We mean that in the sense that his new single, "Too Good at Goodbyes" (Capitol), is #1 on Spotify's Global Top 50 and various iTunes and other charts all over the planet. But we also mean he's in a great state of mind, as evidenced by his buoyant show at L.A.'s Troubadour on Monday night.

With a bevy of fans screaming and Capitol chief Steve Barnett holding court in the audience alongside his team, assorted UMG execs and a who's who of tastemakers, Smith delivered a stripped-down set of songs, most from his Grammy-winning debut set and a few (including "Goodbyes") from his forthcoming album. The man's confidence and joy radiated from the stage, and the crowd joined in on every song. With only basic instruments and some churchy backup vocalists to assist him, Smith was fully in command, and was visibly moved by the love emanating from the house.

(We don't have any pictures to show you because we surrendered our phones, although that ended up adding to the intimacy and focus of the evening.)

Those of us who remember the shy warbler of a few years back couldn't help but remark on the difference. We knew he'd rule the world someday, but we didn't foresee how comfortable he'd look on the throne.