Influence Profile
No genre data available
Genre information will appear here once available
Trending in Jorja Smith’s World
Latest Album
What Are The Odds
Released Aug 21, 2026
Trending Globally
Single
Album
Story
Quick Facts
Born
1997
1997
From
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Journey
Jorja Smith, born Jorja Alice Smith, is an English singer and songwriter from Walsall, West Midlands. Her music draws from British R&B and soul while incorporating UK garage, grime, hip hop, Afrobeats and dance. Her songs often explore relationships, identity, social issues, loss and personal experiences.
Jorja Smith grew up in a musical family. Her father, Peter Smith, is of Jamaican heritage and was a musician who sang with the neo soul group 2nd Naicha. Her mother, Jolene Smith, is English and works as a jewellery designer. Her father encouraged her to learn piano, while a music scholarship at Aldridge School allowed her to study oboe and classical singing.
Smith began writing songs at 11. At 15, a friend uploaded her cover of Labrinth’s “Earthquake” to YouTube, where it caught the attention of producer Guy Moot. This helped introduce her to professional songwriting circles in London. She later travelled regularly from Walsall to London for writing sessions and worked with people including Maverick Sabre and Ed Thomas. After leaving school, she moved to London at 18 and worked as a barista while developing her music career.
Her breakthrough came with “Blue Lights” in 2016. The song, which uses a sample from Dizzee Rascal’s “Sirens,” examines police profiling and the fear experienced by young Black people in Britain. It was followed by releases including “A Prince” and “Project 11,” a five-track project that further introduced her songwriting style.
In 2017, Smith released “On My Mind,” which explored UK garage and dance influences. She also appeared on Drake’s “Get It Together” and “Jorja Interlude” from his “More Life” project. Songs such as “Teenage Fantasy” and “Beautiful Little Fools” further established her as a thoughtful young songwriter.
Released in 2018, Jorja Smith’s debut album, “Lost & Found,” peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums Chart. The album featured songs including “Blue Lights,” “Teenage Fantasy,” “Where Did I Go?” and “Let Me Down,” featuring Stormzy. Smith also contributed to Kendrick Lamar’s “I Am” from the “Black Panther” soundtrack.
Smith received several major recognitions during this period. In 2018, she won the BRIT Awards Critics’ Choice Award, AIM Independent Music Awards UK Breakthrough of the Year, and UK Music Video Awards Best Urban Video UK for “Blue Lights.” In 2019, she won the BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist.
Her connection with African music became particularly noticeable in 2019 through “Be Honest,” her collaboration with Nigerian singer Burna Boy. The song reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and brought together Smith’s R&B background with Afrobeats. She continued working with artists from different musical backgrounds, including J Hus, FKA twigs, Ibeyi, Calvin Harris and Maverick Sabre.
In 2021, Smith released “Be Right Back,” an eight-track project featuring songs such as “Addicted.” The project focused on personal emotions and relationships and showed a quieter side of her songwriting. She also appeared on FKA twigs’ “Darjeeling,” Ibeyi’s “Lavender and Red Roses” and Calvin Harris’ “Somebody Else.”
Her second album, “Falling or Flying,” arrived in September 2023 and reached No. 3 in the UK. The album explored more rhythmic and dance-focused sounds, particularly on “Little Things,” which draws from UK garage. Other songs included “Go Go Go,” “Try Me” and “Feelings.” In 2023, “Try Me” won Best R&B/Soul Video UK at the UK Music Video Awards.
Smith also received the British Short Film Awards’ Best Music Video award for “Home” in 2021. In 2024, “Falling or Flying” won Best Independent Album at the AIM Independent Music Awards.
In 2024, Smith continued developing the ideas introduced on “Falling or Flying” with its reimagined edition. She also remained active through collaborations, including work with Childish Gambino and Amaarae.
Her third studio album, “What Are the Odds,” was released in August 2026. Originally planned as a dance-focused EP, the project grew into a 12-track album produced by London-based Nigerian-British producer P2J. It explores UK garage, 2 step, funky house, soulful house, Afro house and other dance styles. “Alive” features Nigerian singer Wizkid, while Devlin appears on “This City.”
Despite its stronger dance influence, “What Are the Odds” remains personal. “For Life” reflects on losing a friend to addiction, “The Way It Was” looks at the end of a friendship, while “Young Heart” reflects on her younger years. The album shows Smith becoming more adventurous with rhythm without losing the thoughtful writing that has been part of her music from the beginning.
Smith has also remained connected to her hometown. She founded the Blue Lights Choir to create opportunities for young people in Walsall and returned to the town in 2026 for a Spotify Hometown performance linked to the initiative. Her community work adds another dimension to “Blue Lights,” the song that first brought wider attention to her perspective on the experiences of young Black people in Britain.
Throughout her career, Jorja Smith has worked with artists including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Stormzy, Burna Boy, J Hus, FKA twigs, Calvin Harris, Childish Gambino, Amaarae, Maverick Sabre and Wizkid. Her catalogue has moved between R&B, soul, hip hop, grime, UK garage, Afrobeats and dance without losing the personal quality of her songwriting.
Jorja Smith’s journey has continued to evolve, moving from the socially conscious “Blue Lights” and the R&B focus of “Lost & Found” to the reflective “Be Right Back,” the more rhythmic “Falling or Flying” and the dance-driven sound of “What Are the Odds.”
Jorja Smith has earned major recognition through the BRIT Awards, AIM Independent Music Awards, UK Music Video Awards and British Short Film Awards, with wins recorded in 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023 and 2024. Alongside Grammy and Mercury Prize nominations, these achievements have established Jorja Smith as one of the notable voices in contemporary British music.