Watch Sam Smith Perform ‘Stay With Me,’ ‘Lay Me Down’ in ‘SNL’ Debut [VIDEO]

British singer-songwriter Sam Smith made his US national TV debut on 'Saturday Night Live' last night with host comedian Louis C.K. While musical acts on 'SNL' are usually reserved for big name talent, every now and then the long running comedy sketch show will take a gamble on a rising star. Smith's debut last night has seemingly paid off, as his performances of his new songs 'Stay With Me' and 'Lay Me Down' have caught the attention of the Twitter-sphere this morning.

Smith, who is a cousin of Lily Allen, first performed his soulful track, 'Stay With Me,' the third single off his upcoming debut album, 'In the Lonely Hour.' The 21-year-old singer looked comfortable on the dimly lit set, appropriately setup to highlight Smith's powerful and striking vocals. Accompanied by his band and a gospel choir, Smith sang the lyrics about one's sense of loneliness after a one night stand, singing, "Will you hold my hand? / Oh, won't you stay with me / 'Cause you're all I need / This ain't love, it's clear to see / But darling, stay with me."

Later in the broadcast, Smith returned on stage to perform 'Lay Me Down,' another melancholy song about lost love and for this performance, he only had the sounds of a piano to back him up. In what was another example of Smith's tremendous ability to sing his heart out, he passionately sang the song's lyrics saying, "Lay me down tonight, lay me by your side / Can I lay by your side, next to you / And make sure you’re alright / I’ll take care of you / And I don’t wanna be here if I can’t be with you tonight."

With "Sam Smith" trending on Twitter this morning, we're pretty sure Smith made at least a few fans last night. Smith's album 'In the Lonely Hour' will be released on May 26, 2014.