The Talented Miss Smith
Two years after a monumental debut album that put the R&B plane at her feet, Jorja Smith is preparing the sequel.
Photography Elliot Kennedy
Fashion Leah Abbott
When a young artist takes her first steps, we tend to situate her in relation to her claimed influences or the stars who believe in her. In her early days, Jorja Smith was sometimes described as the heiress to Alicia Keys and to Lauryn Hill, or as Drake’s protégé. With her debut album having just earned a golden record certification in France, the English singer is no longer a rising star or a disciple of her heroines, nor does she need such prestigious patronage. She is simply Jorja Smith, one of the queens of contemporary R&B.
The last time we spoke in 2018, this enchanting singer was about to release Lost & Found. This debut album rocketed to number three on the British charts and Jorja received more than one standing ovation: first at the 2018 BRIT Awards (awarded by music professionals to the most promising artists) and then the following year at the same ceremony, where she won the award for Best British Female Solo Artist. In barely a year, her status has changed radically, from young, up-and-coming star to R&B diva. She competed in the Grammy Awards last year for Best New Artist—this simple nomination was definitely a genuine recognition and honor.
In June, Smith released her cover of St. Germain's track, "Rose Rouge," which will be on the upcoming album Blue Note Re:imagined, a collection of newly-recorded and reworked Blue Note tracks performed by internationally-acclaimed jazz, soul, and R&B artists.
When we met again, I wanted to ask her straight away how she experienced the whirlwind of success internally. “I’ve had such a full year...I’ve traveled the world with my music: a dream come true. I’d never released an album before, so I had no idea what to expect.” Being placed in the spotlight so quickly brings with it inevitable ups and downs: “My private life doesn’t really exist anymore” she says. “Now, people recognize me more and sometimes it’s difficult. Having to perform on stage when I don’t feel up to it is complicated, too, but I try to maintain a state of mind that keeps me moving forward. The positive things are, for example, being able to buy my first home, like the farmhouse I just bought, and being able to make my parents’ lives more comfortable.”
In 2018 and 2019, Jorja spent a lot of time on tour—last August I ran into her at the Rock-en-Seine Festival in France, where she was one of the headliners, and at the Olympia in Paris at the end of 2018. “Onstage, every song is like a number that’s part of a performance,” she explains. “Most of the time, I immerse myself in the music. Sometimes playing live in concert is like reliving the past, but I don’t mind being nostalgic.
Last summer, Jorja unveiled a brand new track that wasn’t on Lost & Found: “Be Honest” (a collaboration with Burna Boy), which features an unbridled and more-sensual style. She prefers keeping the details of her second album, which she is currently working on, a secret. No date, no revelation about possible guests or the atmosphere she will focus on—but while discussing another subject, she did reveal a few clues. “I never make any good resolutions for myself. From a professional point of view and for a long time, I simply try not to be too hard on myself. This year, I just want to write again and again. My way of composing hasn’t changed: I start singing over a rhythm or an instrument and let the lyrics come out. I do a bit of freestyle, then I listen to it again and try to make it fit. I want to get back into piano again, I’m going to buy myself a baby grand.
The 23-year-old seems comfortable in her skin able to draw inspiration from the sounds of her idols and to write original songs that are very contemporary. When asked about her opinion on the current state of the world, she hesitates a little: “I don’t like to talk politics very much. I prefer to focus on the positive.” And then she says, “It’s true that the world can seem dark and depressing and that’s what we hear all day long in the media, like all those terrifying fires in Australia. But I’m still full of hope. I feel like my generation is coming together more and more and taking a stand. That’s the positive thing that we can learn from everything that’s going on right now.” On the music side, she maintains the same confidence and dynamic attitude when she’s thinking about the spirit of solidarity that exists between all the female artists around her: “There’s a notion of sisterhood. We support one another, we all remix and show the love we have for one another.”
Looking back with pleasure at the photo session she just did with L’Officiel, Jorja gives us her vision of fashion: “My relationship with fashion is constantly changing and I love it. I really like to express my mood and personality through the clothes I wear, which are either comfortable or sexy, often with a distinctive accessory.” We let her go back to work so that she can finish this much-awaited second album as soon as possible, which should once again knock us over.
Credits
