Jorja Smith is 20 years old and hails from Walsall, just outside of Birmingham. Her musical influences range from Mos Def to Lauryn Hill to The Streets and this shows in her music, with its mixture of storytelling and commentary on social and personal issues.
Jorja was brought up on a blend of Trojan Records boxsets, Curtis Mayfield and Damien Marley and was classically trained as a vocalist during secondary school. After finishing her A-Levels, Jorja moved to London and released the internet-breaking “Blue Lights” at the end of January 2016 and it was met with an incredible response online, at radio (including Annie Mac, Huw Stephens, Mistajam, (BBC Radio 1 & 1Xtra) Zane Lowe (Beats 1), with artists and with every major record label and publisher on both sides of the Atlantic, although she remains unsigned by choice.
Having enjoyed an incredibly positive 2016, which culminated in Jorja Smith releasing her debut EP, embarking on her first UK Headline Tour, and being tipped for success in 2017 by publications including The Fader, i-D Magazine, Complex, The Guardian, and more, the young starlet went on to be placed 4th in the BBC Sound of 2017 poll, and kicked off 2017 with her first US headline tour.
Starting 2017 with the majestic and poignant ‘Beautiful Little Fools’, which focused on the issues young women face in society, Jorja went on to share collaborations with Drake and Kali Uchis. Earlier this month, Jorja unveiled her new single ‘On My Mind’, a collaborative track with UK producer Preditah, which many fans will recognise from her sold-out headline show at Brixton Electric, earlier this Summer. Premiered via i-D Magazine, the single is rife with an awareness and wisdom that far surpasses Jorja’s 20 years; however, there is also a more playful element to her usually introspective lyrical prowess. The official video sees Jorja and her friends accompanied by UKG fanatics Krurupt FM, and Preditah himself. Adding a playful element to Jorja’s usually demure visuals, the clip is the perfect accompaniment to the high-energy single.
Jorja Smith tickets available here
Facebook – /JorjaSmithMusic
Twitter – @JorjaSmith
Instagram – @jorjasmith_