Misplaced Pages

Jorja Smith
Smith performing in 2018
Born	Jorja Alice Smith (1997-06-11) 11 June 1997 (age 27) Walsall, West Midlands, England
Occupations	Singer songwriter
Years active	2016–present
Works	Discography
Musical career
Genres	R&B pop trip hop grime UK garage
Labels	FAMM Sony/ATV
Website	jorjasmith.com

Jorja Alice Smith (born 11 June 1997) is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Walsall, West Midlands, she has been writing songs since the age of 11. In 2012, Smith's friend uploaded her cover of Labrinth's "Earthquake" to YouTube, which led to her discovery by record producer Guy Moot. After her first two singles received broader recognition, she signed with Sony/ATV in early 2016, releasing two EPs throughout later that year and into 2017.

Her debut studio album, Lost & Found, was released in 2018 to critical acclaim, and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart. The same year, Smith won the Brit Critics' Choice Award. In 2019, she was named Best British Female Artist at the Brit Awards and was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist. Her third EP Be Right Back, which was released in May 2021, received favourable reviews.

Early life

Jorja Smith was born on 11 June 1997 in Walsall, West Midlands, to a Jamaican father and an English mother. Her father Peter, a benefits officer, is a former musician who sang in a neo-soul group called 2nd Naicha before Smith was born, and her mother, Jolene, is a jewellery designer. Smith has a younger brother, Luca, and is the cousin of Rangers football player Kemar Roofe.

She began taking piano lessons at the age of 8 at the encouragement of her father. Smith earned a music scholarship at Aldridge School, where she learned the oboe and studied classical singing, before taking music for her A-level exams. She was scouted by a manager at the age of 15 after uploading videos of herself singing cover songs on YouTube. Shortly after, she began travelling to London for writing sessions with Maverick Sabre and Ed Thomas, while still in school. After graduation, she moved to London at the age of 18 where she supported herself by working as a barista, and continued to write songs.

Career

2015–2019: First EPs, and Lost & Found

In Late 2015, Maverick Sabre co-signed Smith publicly. In January 2016, Smith released her debut single "Blue Lights", which samples Dizzee Rascal's song "Sirens", on SoundCloud; the song garnered 400,000 plays on the website within a month. Her second single "Where Did I Go?", released in May, was singled out by Drake as his favourite track of the moment in Entertainment Weekly in July. Following the worldwide recognition and exposure Smith gained from Drake, Smith caught the attention of Guy Moot. Moot, an executive and worldwide creative at Sony/ATV with mainstream industry connections, signed Smith to a publishing deal in late 2016. In November 2016, she released her four-track debut extended play, Project 11. The same month, Smith was selected as one of the fifteen rising acts on BBC Music's Sound of 2017 longlist, and finished fourth on the list.

Smith performed as a special guest on Drake's Boy Meets World Tour in February and March 2017, and featured on two tracks on his mixtape More Life (2017). She released the song "Beautiful Little Fools" on International Women's Day; the title is a reference to the novel The Great Gatsby. In May, she featured on Kali Uchis' song "Tyrant", the lead single off Uchis' debut studio album Isolation (2018). She released her third single, "Teenage Fantasy", in June. Two months later, Smith and grime artist Preditah released a single together called "On My Mind". In September 2017, she began dating singer and producer Joel Compass.

She performed as the opening act on Bruno Mars' 24K Magic World Tour in October and November 2017. In December, it was announced that Smith would be the recipient of the Brit Critics' Choice Award, to be presented at the Brits nominations launch on 13 January 2018. She is the first independent artist to have been nominated for the award, let alone win.

In January 2018, she released the single "Let Me Down" featuring rapper Stormzy. Smith co-wrote and performed the song "I Am" on Kendrick Lamar's soundtrack album for the film Black Panther, released in February. Later that month, she performed at the BRIT Awards with Rag'n'Bone Man. In April, she made her US television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a performance of "Blue Lights". Her debut studio album, Lost & Found, written over a five-year period, was announced in April and released in June 2018 to critical acclaim. In the month of the album's release, Smith began touring in support of the album, with dates scheduled across Europe and festival appearances in Japan. The Lost & Found Tour's North American leg began on 19 November in Seattle and conclude on 19 December in Toronto and will be supported by Ravyn Lenae.

In 2019, Smith announced a co-headlining North American tour with Kali Uchis starting on 28 April in Washington, D.C. and concluding in Toronto on 30 May. In August 2019, Smith released the single "Be Honest" featuring Burna Boy.

2020–present: Be Right Back and Falling or Flying

In early 2020, Smith began hosting a 12-part BBC Radio 3 show called 'Tearjerker', which focuses on the healing power of music. She released two singles that year: "By Any Means" and "Come Over" featuring Popcaan.

On 14 May 2021, she released her third extended play Be Right Back, which received generally positive reviews.

On 11 May 2023, Smith released the single "Little Things" which peaked at number 95 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 on 19 May 2023. On 18 May 2023, Smith announced that her next studio album, Falling or Flying, would be released in September 2023. On 4 August 2023, Smith released "Go Go Go", the third single from her upcoming album. On 9 November 2023, Smith released a cover version of East-17's 1994 single "Stay Another Day", released solely as part of the Amazon Music Originals series.

Influences

Smith grew up listening to reggae, punk, hip-hop, and R&B, and wrote her first song at the age of 11. She describes being "obsessed" with Amy Winehouse's 2003 debut album Frank as a teenager and was inspired by the singer's raw approach to songwriting. Smith said her songs are about social issues: "When things are going on in the world, I think it's important to touch on them, because as a musician, you can make people listen. As soon as people press play, you've got their attention." She cites Lauryn Hill, Adele, Amy Winehouse, Sade, Nina Simone, Alicia Keys, Mos Def and the Streets as influences. Style wise, Smith cites Rihanna as a fashion icon she is inspired by.

Discography

• Lost & Found (2018)
• Falling or Flying (2023)

Tours

Headlining

• Lost and Found Tour (2018)
• Falling Or Flying Intimante Headline Shows (2023)

Co-headlining

• The Kali & Jorja Tour (with Kali Uchis) (2019)

Awards and nominations

References

1. Melis, Matt (13 June 2018). "Album Review: Jorja Smith Becomes a Bold, New Voice on Lost and Found". Consequence. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
2. "How Did Jorja Smith Get Discovered + Net Worth (2022 UPDATED)". 4 April 2022.
3. ^ Myers, Owen (7 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Real Talk". Crack Magazine. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
4. Hahn, Rachel (28 July 2018). "Meet Jorja Smith's Favorite Jewelry Designer (It's Her Mom)". Vogue. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
5. Lost & Found (Media notes). FAMM. 2018. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |people= ignored (help)
6. Kemar Roofe (21 September 2016). "Vote for my Cousin for Best song at The Mobos". Kemar Roofe : Official Twitter. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
7. ^ White, Caitlin (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith Offers A Blueprint For A New Era Of Pop Star On Her Debut, 'Lost & Found'". Uproxx. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
8. ^ Pitchfork (8 June 2018). "Meant to Be: Jorja Smith and Her Remarkable Rise to the Top". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 9 October 2018. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
9. Denney, Alex (5 April 2016). "Jorja Smith brings 17th-century swagger to 'A Prince'". Dazed. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
10. ^ Cliff, Aimee (18 August 2016). "Meet Jorja Smith, The British Teen Conquering Apathy With Soul". The Fader. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
11. ^ Davis, Allison P. (7 June 2018). "Jorja Smith Hopes She Isn't Boring You". The Cut. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
12. "UK Radar: Jorja Smith". 24 February 2016.
13. "UK Radar: Jorja Smith". Hypebeast. 24 February 2016. Archived from the original on 6 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
14. EW Staff (8 July 2016). "Elton John, Drake and more reveal their fave songs of the moment". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
15. MusicWeek. "Jorja Smith: The Music Week Interview".
16. Milton, Jamie (10 December 2016). "Class of 2017: Jorja Smith". DIY. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
17. Gibsone, Harriet (27 November 2016). "BBC Music Sound of 2017 longlist revealed: Jorja Smith, Anderson Paak and more". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
18. "2017, BBC Music Sound Of – 4th Jorja Smith – BBC Music". BBC. Archived from the original on 6 January 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
19. ^ Bains, Sanjeeta (16 February 2018). "Who is Jorja Smith? All you need to know about the Brit Critics Choice Award winner from Walsall". Birmingham Mail. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
20. Lobenfeld, Claire (20 March 2017). "Drake's More Life gives US streaming boost to Giggs, Skepta and Jorja Smith". Fact. Archived from the original on 21 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
21. Renshaw, David (8 March 2017). "Jorja Smith Celebrates International Women's Day with the Powerful "Beautiful Little Fools" Video". The Fader. Archived from the original on 22 March 2017. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
22. Dandridge-Lemco, Ben (22 May 2017). "Kali Uchis Connects With Jorja Smith For New Single "Tyrant"". The Fader. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
23. Giulione, Bianca (12 June 2017). "Jorja Smith Drops Cinematic B&W Video For "Teenage Fantasy"". Highsnobiety. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
24. Horn, Olivia (30 August 2017). ""On My Mind" by Jorja Smith Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
25. Havens, Lyndsey (31 March 2018). "Jorja Smith, Co-Signed by Drake & Kendrick: 'My Songs Are Classics'". Billboard. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
26. ^ Spanos, Brittany (10 July 2018). "Drake Collaborator Jorja Smith Announces Headlining Fall Tour". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
27. ^ "Jorja Smith wins 2018 Critics' Choice!". Brit Awards. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
28. Beaumont-Thomas, Ben (4 December 2017). "Jorja Smith wins 2018 Brits critics' choice award". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
29. Robinson, Peter (9 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: 'Did Amy have a hit with Frank? I haven't had one and I'm not bothered'". The Guardian. London. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
30. Pearce, Sheldon (12 January 2018). ""Let Me Down" [ft. Stormzy] by Jorja Smith Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
31. "Black Panther: The Album [Music from and Inspired by the Motion Picture]". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 13 April 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2018.
32. Marzovilla, Julia (21 February 2018). "Rag'n'Bone Man Takes Brit Awards Stage to Perform 'Skin' With Jorja Smith". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
33. Penrose, Nerisha (17 April 2018). "Jorja Smith Paints 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in 'Blue Lights' For Live TV Debut Performance: Watch". Billboard. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
34. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (9 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found — 'thoughtful and authentic'". Financial Times. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
35. McKinney, Jessica (20 April 2018). "Jorja Announces Debut Album 'Lost & Found'". Vibe. Archived from the original on 11 July 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
36. "Tour dates". Jorja Smith Official website. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
37. Smith, Jorja (23 July 2018). "JMoney on Twitter: "Wow. San Francisco, LA & New York have already sold out so added an extra show to San Francisco & LA". Twitter. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
38. "Be Honest (feat. Burna Boy) – Single by Jorja Smith". iTunes. 16 August 2019. Archived from the original on 16 August 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
39. "Jorja Smith launches BBC Radio 3 show 'Tearjerker' about music's healing power". NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
40. "By Any Means – Single by Jorja Smith". Apple Music. 30 July 2020. Archived from the original on 9 September 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2020.
41. Young, David James (30 September 2020). "Jorja Smith and Popcaan tease new single 'Come Over'". NME. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
42. Grow, Kory (11 May 2023). "Dad Jokes and Veiny Hands: See Jorja Smith's Flirty New 'Little Things' Video". Billboard. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
43. Murray, Robin (12 May 2023). "Jorja Smith's 'Little Things' Thrives On Immediacy". Clash. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
44. "Official Singles Downloads Chart Top 100 19 May 2023 - 25 May 2023". Official Charts. 19 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
45. "falling or flying, my second album!!! Out 29th September 2023. I can't believe it tbh…". Twitter. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
46. Murray, Robin (18 May 2023). "Jorja Smith Announces New Album 'Falling Or Flying'". Clash. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
47. "Jorja Smith Delivers Indie-Inspired Single, "GO GO GO"". Hypebeast. 3 August 2023. Retrieved 4 August 2023.
48. Breihan, Tom (7 November 2023). "Jorja Smith – "Stay Another Day" (East 17 Cover)". Stereo Gum. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
49. Folk, Antwane (7 November 2023). "Jorja Smith Remakes East 17's 'Stay Another Day' for Amazon Music". Rated RnB. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
50. Griffiths, George (7 November 2023). "Amazon Music Original reveals new Christmas songs for 2023 from Sam Ryder, Anne-Marie and Jorja Smith". Official Charts. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
51. Thompson, Isobel (5 September 2018). "Centre Stage: Jorja Smith". Vanity Fair. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
52. ^ Hyman, Dan (1 August 2018). "Meet Jorja Smith, the Mercury Prize-Shortlisted Favorite of Drake and Kendrick". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 4 October 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
53. Celebretainment (22 September 2018). "Jorja Smith gets 'best advice' from Stormzy". Celebretainment. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 4 October 2018.
54. Kozin, Ariela (1 June 2018). "Fall in Love With Jorja Smith, Music's Rising Seductress". Playboy. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
55. Montano, Kay (8 July 2016). "Q+A with Singer Jorja Smith". ThandieKay. Archived from the original on 11 June 2018. Retrieved 10 June 2018.
56. "Jorja Rising". 30 April 2019.
57. Welsh, Clare (21 September 2016). "Kano, Skepta and Laura Mvula lead the nominations at this year's MOBOs". Fact. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
58. "2017 MOBO AWARDS NOMINATIONS: GET THE FULL LIST NOW". MOBO Organisation. 16 October 2017. Archived from the original on 28 February 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
59. "BET Awards 2017 | Best International Viewers' Choice". BET. Archived from the original on 30 August 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
60. "Q Awards 2018 Shortlist Nominations Announced!". Q. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
61. Bowenbank, Starr (5 September 2018). "AIM Independent Music Awards Winners: Jorja Smith, SOPHIE, Ninja Tune & More". Billboard. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
62. "video genre categories – ukmva 2018". UK Music Video Awards. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
63. Kaufman, Gil (4 October 2018). "Camila Cabello, Ariana Grande, Post Malone Lead 2018 MTV EMA Nominees". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 8 October 2018.
64. Kennedy, Alice Studdert (22 October 2018). "16th annual Urban Music Awards nominations announced". Urban Music Awards. Archived from the original on 6 August 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
65. Mitchell, Gail (25 October 2018). "2018 Soul Train Awards Exclusive: H.E.R., Bruno Mars & Cardi B Top Nominees". Billboard. Archived from the original on 26 October 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
66. "GAFFA-priset 2019 – här är artisterna som ligger bäst till". GAFFA (in Swedish). Sweden. Archived from the original on 23 December 2019. Retrieved 3 September 2019.
67. "Brit Awards 2019: Full list of winners". BBC. 20 February 2019. Archived from the original on 13 January 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
68. "2019 nominees and winners". ivorsacademy.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
69. "AIM announces 2019 Independent Music Awards nominees". Association of Independent Music. 24 July 2019. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 1 August 2019.
70. "Home". Archived from the original on 28 October 2018. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
71. "Winners at First Ever British Short Film Awards". Variety. 3 December 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2022.

External links

• Official website
• Jorja Smith at AllMusic

• 1997 births
• Living people
• Decca Records artists
• English contemporary R&B singers
• English people of Jamaican descent
• English soul singers
• English women in electronic music
• English women pop singers
• Musicians from Walsall
• 21st-century Black British women singers