Jorja Alice Smith (born 11 June 1997) is an English singer-songwriter. Born and raised in

Walsall Walsall (, or ; locally ) is a market town and administrative centre in the West Midlands County, England. Historically part of Staffordshire, it is located north-west of Birmingham, east of Wolverhampton and from Lichfield. Walsall is th ...

, West Midlands, she has been writing songs since the age of 11. In 2012, Smith's friend uploaded her cover of

Labrinth Timothy Lee McKenzie (born 4 January 1989), better known by his stage name Labrinth, is an English singer, rapper, songwriter and record producer. After initially pursuing a career in music production, Simon Cowell signed him to his record lab ...

's "

Earthquake An earthquake (also known as a quake, tremor or temblor) is the shaking of the surface of the Earth resulting from a sudden release of energy in the Earth's lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, fr ...

" to

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

, which led to her discovery by record producer Guy Moot. After her first two singles received broader recognition, she signed with

Sony/ATV Sony Music Publishing (formerly Sony/ATV Music Publishing) is the largest Music publisher (popular music), music publisher in the world, with over five million songs owned or administered as of end March 2021. US-based, it is part of the Sony Mu ...

in 2016, releasing two EPs throughout 2016 and 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 Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

. The same year, Smith won the Brit Critics' Choice Award. In 2019, she was named Best British Female Artist at the

Brit Awards The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

and was also nominated for the

Grammy Award for Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

. 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

, 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 Neo soul (sometimes called progressive soul) is a genre of popular music. As a term, it was coined by music industry entrepreneur Kedar Massenburg during the late 1990s to market and describe a style of music that emerged from soul and contem ...

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 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 Aldridge School is a mixed secondary school and sixth form with academy status located in Aldridge, in the Metropolitan Borough of Walsall in the West Midlands, England. The school is recognised as a Science College. The current head is Mr. W ...

, where she learned the

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

and studied classical singing, before taking music for her

A-level The A-Level (Advanced Level) is a subject-based qualification conferred as part of the General Certificate of Education, as well as a school leaving qualification offered by the educational bodies in the United Kingdom and the educational au ...

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 London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

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 Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), better known by his stage name Dizzee Rascal, is a British MC and rapper. A pioneer of grime music, his work has also incorporated elements of UK garage, bassline, British hip hop, and R&B. D ...

's song " Sirens", on

SoundCloud SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...

; 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 Drake may refer to: Animals * A male duck People and fictional characters * Drake (surname), a list of people and fictional characters with the family name * Drake (given name), a list of people and fictional characters with the given name ...

as his favourite track of the moment in ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular ...

'' 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 An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

, ''Project 11''. The same month, Smith was selected as one of the fifteen rising acts on

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio ...

's Sound of 2017 longlist, and finished fourth on the list. Jorja Smith 04 18 2018 -31 (41598215302) (cropped)

Smith performed as a special guest on Drake's

Boy Meets World Tour The Boy Meets World Tour was the fifth headlining tour by Canadian recording artist Drake, to support his album '' Views'' (2016), and his playlist ''More Life'' (2017). The European leg began on January 28, 2017, at the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam a ...

in February and March 2017, and featured on two tracks on his mixtape ''

More Life ''More Life'' is a commercial mixtape by Canadian rapper and singer Drake. Described and marketed as a playlist, some publications have referred to it as a mixtape. It was released on March 18, 2017, through Republic Records and distributed by Cas ...

'' (2017). She released the song "Beautiful Little Fools" on

International Women's Day International Women's Day (IWD) is a global holiday celebrated annually on March 8 as a focal point in the women's rights movement, bringing attention to issues such as gender equality, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse against wo ...

; the title is a reference to the novel ''

The Great Gatsby ''The Great Gatsby'' is a 1925 novel by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in the Jazz Age on Long Island, near New York City, the novel depicts first-person narrator Nick Carraway's interactions with mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby ...

''. In May, she featured on

Kali Uchis Karly-Marina Loaiza (born July 17, 1994), known professionally as Kali Uchis ( ), is an American singer. She released her debut mixtape, ''Drunken Babble'', in 2012, which was followed by her debut EP, '' Por Vida'', released in 2015. In 2018, U ...

' 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 Peter Gene Hernandez (born October 8, 1985), known professionally as Bruno Mars, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is known for his stage performances, retro showmanship, and for performing in a wide range of musical ...

' 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 Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), known professionally as Stormzy, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter. In 2014, he gained attention on the UK underground music scene through his ''Wicked Skengman'' series of f ...

. Smith co-wrote and performed the song "I Am" on

Kendrick Lamar Kendrick Lamar Duckworth (born June 17, 1987) is an American rapper and songwriter. Known for his progressive musical styles and socially conscious songwriting, he is often considered one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generat ...

soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...

for the film ''

Black Panther A black panther is the melanistic colour variant of the leopard (''Panthera pardus'') and the jaguar (''Panthera onca''). Black panthers of both species have excess black pigments, but their typical rosettes are also present. They have been ...

'', released in February. Later that month, she performed at the

BRIT Award The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...

s with Rag'n'Bone Man. In April, she made her US television debut on ''

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's ...

'' 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

starting on 28 April in Washington, D.C. and concluding in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

on 30 May. In August 2019, Smith released the single " Be Honest" featuring

Burna Boy Damini Ebunoluwa Ogulu (born 2 July 1991), known professionally as Burna Boy, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter and record producer. He rose to stardom in 2012 after releasing "Like to Party", the lead single from his debut studio album, ''L.I. ...

2020–present: ''Be Right Back''

In early 2020, Smith began hosting a 12-part

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The sta ...

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 Andrae Hugh Sutherland (born 19 July 1988), known professionally as Popcaan, is a Jamaican singer. In 2008, Popcaan joined Vybz Kartel's Gaza Music Empire. In 2010, he released his breakthrough international hit "Clarks" with Kartel, an ode ...

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

Influences

Smith grew up listening to

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...

, punk, hip-hop, and R&B, and wrote her first song at the age of 11. She describes being "obsessed" with

Amy Winehouse Amy Jade Winehouse (14 September 1983 – 23 July 2011) was an English singer and songwriter. She was known for her deep, expressive contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of musical genres, including soul, rhythm and blues and jazz. A membe ...

'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 Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, and record producer. She is often regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time, as well as being one of the most influential musicians of her generation. ...

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a rec ...

, Sade,

Nina Simone Eunice Kathleen Waymon (February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003), known professionally as Nina Simone (), was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blu ...

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

Mos Def Yasiin Bey (; born Dante Terrell Smith, December 11, 1973), previously and more commonly known by his stage name Mos Def (), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor. His hip hop career began in 1994, alongside his siblings in the s ...

and

the Streets The Streets are an English music project led by vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner. The project has released six studio albums: '' Original Pirate Material'' (2002), ''A Grand Don't Come for Free'' (2004), ''The Hardest Way to ...

as influences. Style wise, Smith cites

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to th ...

as the sole fashion icon she is inspired by.

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Singles

As lead artist

Promotional singles

As featured artist

Other charted and certified songs

Other guest appearances

Music videos

Tours

Headlining

*Lost and Found Tour (2018)

Co-headlining

*The Kali & Jorja Tour (2019)

Awards and nominations

{, class=wikitable , - ! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result , - , 2016 , rowspan="4",

MOBO Awards The MOBO Awards (Music of Black Origin, also known as the MOBOs) are an annual British music award presentation honouring achievements in " music of black origin", including hip hop, grime, UK Drill, R&B, soul, reggae, jazz, gospel, and ...

, "Blue Lights" , Best Song , rowspan="5" , - , rowspan="4", 2017 , rowspan="8" , Best Female , - , Best Newcomer , - , Best R&B/Soul Act , - ,

BET Awards The BET Awards is an American award show that was established in 2001 by the Black Entertainment Television network to celebrate black entertainers and other minorities in music, film, sports and philanthropy. The awards, which are presented annua ...

, International Viewers' Choice Award , - , rowspan="11", 2018 ,

, Critics' Choice , , - ,

Q Awards The Q Awards were the UK's annual music awards run by the music magazine '' Q''. Since they began in 1990, the Q Awards became one of Britain's biggest and best publicised music awards. Locations for the awards ceremony included Abbey Road Studios ...

, Q Breakthrough Act , , - , rowspan="3", AIM Independent Music Awards , UK Breakthrough of the Year , , - , Most Played New Independent Act , rowspan="3" , - , rowspan="2", '' Lost & Found'' , Independent Album of the Year , - ,

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual music prize awarded for the best album released in the United Kingdom by a British or Irish act. It was created by Jon Webster and Robert Chandler in association with the ...

, Album of the Year , - , UK Music Video Awards , "Blue Lights" , Best Urban Video – UK , , - ,

MTV Europe Music Awards The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an a ...

, , Best Push , rowspan="7" , - , Urban Music Awards , ''Lost & Found'' , Best Album , - , rowspan="2",

Soul Train Music Awards The Soul Train Music Awards is an annual music awards show which previously aired in national broadcast syndication, and honors the best in African-American culture, music and entertainment. It is produced by the makers of '' Soul Train'', the p ...

, rowspan="4" ,

Best New Artist The Grammy Award for Best New Artist has been awarded since 1959. Years reflect the year in which the Grammy Awards were handed out, for records released in the previous year. The award was not presented in 1967. The official guidelines are as ...

, - , Soul Train Certified Award , - , rowspan="9", 2019 ,

Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...

, - , Sweden GAFFA Awards , Best Foreign New Act , - , rowspan="3",

, ''Lost & Found'' , British Album of the Year , - , rowspan="2" , British Female Solo Artist , , - , British Breakthrough Act , rowspan="5" , - ,

Ivor Novello Awards The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...

, "Blue Lights" , Best Contemporary Song , - , AIM 2019 Independent Music Awards , , Most Played New Independent Artist , - , rowspan="2", UK Music Video Awards , rowspan="2", " Be Honest" , Best Urban Video – UK , - , Best Production Design in a Video Nominated for a uk MVA for by any means , -

Notes

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Jorja 1997 births 21st-century Black British women singers British contemporary R&B singers English women pop singers English people of Jamaican descent English soul singers Living people Musicians from the West Midlands (county) People from Walsall Decca Records artists English women in electronic music