The British singer hit the stage at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn just hours after reports surfaced suggesting he had split from his actor boyfriend Brandon Flynn, who he had dated for nine months.

Fans of the Stay With Me hitmaker also noticed he had deleted a string of photos of the former couple from his Instagram page, and although he didn't address the rumours directly during his live show, he appeared to reference the break-up as the 26-year-old told fans he was dealing with some personal problems - just like anyone else.

"I know that everyone in this room right now is going through some s**t. I know I'm going through some s**t," he said. "Tonight, I want all of us to just leave all of our worries and all of our heartache aside and let's have some fun."

Sam also decided to switch up his usual setlist for his The Thrill of It All Tour to reflect his sombre mood, adding the track One Day at a Time.

According to the New York Post's Page Six column, he introduced the tune by sharing that he had penned the 2017 song after tiring of discussing a previous love split.

"He sang his heart out," an audience member told the publication.

A representative for Sam has yet to comment on the break-up claims, but a source told The Sun newspaper the musician and 13 Reasons Why actor Brandon decided to call off their romance last week (ends22Jun18) due to their work schedules.

"Sam and Brandon had a real whirlwind romance. They really fell for each other," the insider said. "But they are both so busy with their careers and unfortunately things just haven't worked out.

"Sam is obviously devastated. This is the most significant relationship he has ever had. Thankfully he is on tour across the U.S. at the moment which has been a welcome distraction."