Sam Smith feels "a bit behind" when it comes to his relationships, blaming being "the only gay guy in my village" for hindering his romantic success.

The 25-year-old singer was recently photographed kissing 13 Reasons Why actor Brandon Flynn, with the couple's romance apparently going from strength to strength. However, in a new interview for Billboard magazine, Sam admitted that his love life is not as mature as he would like.

"I do feel I’m a bit behind in my relationships,” he said. "I wish I’d been in a long-term relationship by this age. But then, I didn't move to London until I was 19. I’d grown up in an area where I was the only gay guy in school, the only gay guy in my village.

"I’d definitely be emotionally richer now if I’d had a long-term ­relationship, but if it wasn't easy while I was growing up, it’s hardly going to be any easier for me now, is it?"

Sam is currently enjoying a musical comeback, following the success of his latest single Too Good at Goodbyes. He is currently finalising details for his second studio album, and credited a recent trip to Mosul, Iraq, for helping change his outlook on life and aiding his album-writing process.

"I spent five days in Mosul and came back ­embarrassed that I had known so little about the world and other people’s lives," Sam mused. "I went back to that great Nina Simone quote, that it is important to speak about the times you live in. I hadn't done that; I’d just written a bunch of songs about love. So I wanted to write about how I’m now starting to open my eyes, at 25, to what is going on in the rest of the world, and that it’s not always pretty."

Sam's musical success has also led to an increased profile in both his native England and across the pond in America. But the star does his best to play down his celebrity status, adding to Billboard that it's about "how you hold yourself".

"If you don’t act famous, you won’t feel it, and you won’t draw the attention," he explained. "When I go to a gay club now, it’s mostly fine because I’m there to have a good time like everyone else."