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Jorja Smith
Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, And Jorja Smith Are Headlining The Female-Led Sol Blume Festival Lineup
Achieving gender parity in musical festival lineups has been an uphill battle for female artists. Over the past few years, we’ve seen lineup figures cross the 30% mark of female-led acts on the bill, but that number seldom affects the headlining slate, which is typically dominated by male artists. We’ve seen some festivals recently make it a priority to feature female-led acts in at least half of the bill, but when it comes to hip-hop, that effort is generally negligible.
Enter Sacramento’s Sol Blume festival. Now in its third edition, the fest has just announced an eye-popping slate of female headlining acts and a 2022 lineup that shows true balance between female and male stars in hip-hop, R&B, and soul. Jhené Aiko, Summer Walker, and Jorja Smith are the headliners along with PartyNextDoor, making for a formidable slate of some of today’s best artists. The two-day Sol Blume fest is also moving to a new venue at Sacramento’s Discovery Park, with its sweeping 300-acre riverside footprint.
Among the acts joining the headliners on the bill are Alina Baraz, Majid Jordan, SiR, Lucky Daye, Kiana Ledé, DVSN, Syd, Thundercat, Tinashe, Blxst, Rexx Life Raj, Sinéad Harnett, Smino, Lauren Jauregui, Tiana Major9, Tink, Yeek, and more.
Tickets go on sale Monday, January, 31 at 1o am PST here. You can full details and lineup info at the same link.
Some of the artists mentioned here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Jorja Smith’s ‘All Of This’ Is An Afrobeat Breakup Anthem With GuiltyBeatz
Since her breakout record Lost & Found in 2019, Jorja Smith has been quietly figuring out her next move. On this spring’s new EP, Be Right Back, she’s still expanding her sound and riding the line between pop, R&B, and hip-hop. That’s the blueprint for our new era of pop stars, but Smith also had the jumpstart of a co-sign from Drake on his 2017 project More Life to get her going, which never hurts. On today’s new video for “All Of This,” a song with the Ghanaian DJ and record producer GuiltyBeatz that’s inspired by Amapiano, a South African style of house music.
Leaning into the Afrobeat genre is a great next move for Smith, and the new single is a bit of a departure from her more straightforward EP. Jorja talked about meeting Guilty in Jamaica and how the song came about in a press release. “I met [Guilty] when I went over to Port Antonio in Jamaica for a writing camp in 2019,” she said. “He’s so wonderful to work with and when we initially started the song, it was more a fall to the floor type beat. He’s shared Amapiano playlists with me before and then during the first lockdown in 2020, he sent me a version of the song like it is now. We then finished writing the song remotely, exchanging messages over WhatsApp with his girlfriend Abby who is also a writer. It’s all about someone who doesn’t deserve you and thinking wow, you really had all of my once, ew.”
Check out the new track above.
Jorja Smith Is A Supportive Confidant In Her Melancholy ‘Home’ Video
Jorja Smith is a supportive confidant in the new video for “Home” from her lovelorn EP, Be Right Back. While the song’s lyrics debate leaving behind a picturesque but unfulfilling relationship for an uncertain future, the video portrays this dynamic visually, with Jorja playing the role of the nanny of a couple whose relationship has played itself out. As the wife contemplates telling her husband, lip-syncing the lyrics through a dinner party and a play date, Jorja looks on in supportive silence, letting her work through her tangled emotions.
“Home” is the fourth single from the EP after “Gone,” “Bussdown,” and “Addicted,” which arrived ahead of the rollout, and though all four songs convey different moods, they retain the through-line of pursuing personal freedom in lieu of the expectations of a stable relationship. Be Right Back was the British singer’s first project since 2018’s Lost & Found, her debut album containing the hit single “Blue Lights.”
Since then, Smith has released a number of non-album singles, including the Burna Boy-featuring “Be Honest,” as well as the wisftul “Come Over” with Jamaican dancehall star Popcaan. She also commented on the wave of 2020 anti-racist uprisings with “By Any Means.”
Watch Jorja Smith’s “Home” video above.
Jorja Smith Dreads The Choice Of Holding On Or Letting Go On Her Lovelorn EP, ‘Be Right Back’
Life is a forever-winding path filled with crossroads and intersections. At times, navigating this journey is as easy as breathing and walking; decisions are made with help from destiny and subconscious thought, going unrecognized unless one requests it from the file cabinet of the mind. Other times, destiny takes a step back and leaves us in charge of commanding the journey. Even with the highest dose of wisdom present, questions of where to turn, when to stop, slow down, or speed up become far too dreadful to answer.
As we all had to do in some corner of our lives, Jorja Smith has been left to make these decisions and, as she unveils on her new EP Be Right Back, the choices before her are some that most would hate to choose from. On the lovelorn project, Jorja engages in a mental tug of war in the often unpredictable world of love and is left to decide what’s best for her: holding on in hopes of receiving better or letting go in fear of prolonging the bad before experiencing the worst.
Be Right Back is the English singer’s first project since her 2019 debut album, Lost & Found, an effort where she quite literally discovered herself. Songs that she wrote as a naive youth grew beside her with age and became tales of what once was, what is now, and what could be. The EP not only signals her return to music, as it’s her first project in over two years, foreshadows more to come for those who crave more from Jorja, just like that morning cup of Joe.
The scene is set as Be Right Back begins. The singer is knee-deep and tangled within the webs of unrequited love on “Addicted.” Jorja craves her lover like a caffeine addict does with their cup of coffee, but unlike that morning boost of energy that seeks nothing in return from its consumer, Jorja needs reciprocation from her companion. “The hardest thing / You are not addicted to me,” she croons with a voice filled with agony on the track. “I’m the only thing you should need / You should be addicted to me.” It’s at this moment that the unsettling crossroad presents itself.
The worst thing about these journeys is you’ll never know what’s next. No amount of astrology, prayer, or fortune-telling can give a play-by-play of the future that we’d all love to have. The gains and losses that come with each turn are vastly unpredictable. Taking one path can cause the extinction of another and sacrificing something else can spark the appearance of something new and better. So when Jorja deals with the pain of departure on “Gone” and “Weekend,” and inflicts some of the same on “Time,” it’s all with the hope that maybe one day she’ll make the right decisions to bring her towards the happy moment she desires.
For what it’s worth, Jorja can end a chapter in love if it proves to be necessary. After a whirlwind of doubts blur her perception and confidence towards a successful relationship on “Home,” Jorja opts to step away from it as her worries only seem to weigh her down. “Why can’t we leave it? Should’ve left it as just another chapter,” she ponders over the soft strums of an electric guitar. “It stays the same, will always remain with my heart in doubt.”
As a result, her bags are packed and she continues on her journey towards what’s next and what is hopefully better for her. Be Right Back sees her take a momentary break from the path she travels to document the scenery and events she experienced. It’s never the destination, but rather the journey, so timely pauses to take in what’s occurred are often necessary to avoid repeating mistakes and being lost — again — within it all.
Be Right Back is out now via FAMM. Get it here.
Jorja Smith Plays With Power Dynamics And Diamonds In Her ‘Bussdown’ Video With Shaybo
Considering her coolly poised presentation and jazzy vocal style, it might have surprised some fans to find that Jorja Smith has a song on her new EP called “Bussdown.” However, rather than a ratchet anthem, Jorja delivered a laid-back, reggae-influenced song that found her flexing, expressing her pride in being a self-made woman who can afford to treat herself. The video takes things a step further, imagining a world in which male-female dynamics are reversed by depicting the transaction between Jorja as an unscrupulous mechanic and her customer, who doesn’t realize he’s the one being taken for a ride.
While the visuals depict their glamorous exploits, Jorja and guest rapper Shaybo’s lyrics highlight how their money doesn’t absolve foul treatment at the hands of a male-dominated society or in their relationships. “If I go broke today, will you stay or leave?” questions Shaybo. Meanwhile, Jorja’s chorus sums up the reason for their vengeful mood: “Feels so bad to feel nice,” she croons. “But she can’t handle that, it comes with a small price.”
“Bussdown” appears on Jorja’s new EP Be Right Back, which dropped last night. The eight-track effort is her first since 2018’s Lost & Found.
Watch the video for “Bussdown” above and listen to Be Right Back here.
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Jorja Smith Plays With Power Dynamics And Diamonds In Her ‘Bussdown’ Video With Shaybo
Considering her coolly poised presentation and jazzy vocal style, it might have surprised some fans to find that Jorja Smith has a song on her new EP called “Bussdown.” However, rather than a ratchet anthem, Jorja delivered a laid-back, reggae-influenced song that found her flexing, expressing her pride in being a self-made woman who can afford to treat herself. The video takes things a step further, imagining a world in which male-female dynamics are reversed by depicting the transaction between Jorja as an unscrupulous mechanic and her customer, who doesn’t realize he’s the one being taken for a ride.
While the visuals depict their glamorous exploits, Jorja and guest rapper Shaybo’s lyrics highlight how their money doesn’t absolve foul treatment at the hands of a male-dominated society or in their relationships. “If I go broke today, will you stay or leave?” questions Shaybo. Meanwhile, Jorja’s chorus sums up the reason for their vengeful mood: “Feels so bad to feel nice,” she croons. “But she can’t handle that, it comes with a small price.”
“Bussdown” appears on Jorja’s new EP Be Right Back, which dropped last night. The eight-track effort is her first since 2018’s Lost & Found.
Watch the video for “Bussdown” above and listen to Be Right Back here.
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Jorja Smith’s Snappy Single ‘Gone’ Announces Her Project ‘Be Right Back’
Fans have been waiting to her details about a new project from Jorja Smith ever since the UK singer captivated audiences with soothing vocals on her 2018 debut album Lost & Found. With the release of her recent single “Addicted,” it seemed as though Smith was gearing up for something exciting and on Monday, the singer officially returned with a big announcement.
Smith shared the snappy single “Gone” on Monday, which arrived alongside the announcement of her forthcoming eight-track project Be Right Back. About the song “Gone,” Smith says she hopes her listeners can derive their own meaning from her lyrics, adding that she wrote the track about tragedy:
“There’s something about being able to write about one thing and for it to mean so many different things to others. I love that this song, well any of my songs really, will be interpreted in different ways, depending on the experiences of the people listening. This one is just me asking why people have to be taken from us.”
About the album as a whole, Smith says, “It’s called Be Right Back because it’s just something I want my fans to have right now, this isn’t an album and these songs wouldn’t have made it. If I needed to make these songs, then someone needs to hear them too.”
Listen to Smith’s “Gone” above and see the Be Right Back album cover art and tracklist below.
1. “Addicted”
2. “Gone”
3. “Bussdown” Feat. Shaybo
4. “Time”
5. “Home”
6. “Burn”
7. “Digging”
8. “Weekend”
Be Right Back is out 5/14 via FAMM. Pre-order it here.
Sonder Looks To Make Things Right With Jorja Smith On Their Promising Single, ‘Nobody But You’
While Brent Faiyaz has been impressing listeners over the past couple of years, the collective that he’s also a part of, Sonder, has been rather quiet since their 2017 project, Into. All of that hopefully changes tonight as the group returns with a brand new single. Backed by Faiyaz’s vocals and production from Atu and Dpat, the trio that is Sonder drops “Nobody But You,” which includes a gust appearance from Jorja Smith. On the track, Faiyaz plays a poor-performing companion in the eyes of Jorja, but in recognizing his faults, he promises to improve his ways. Jorja, on the other hand, is extremely skeptical of this declaration as she notes he only cares about himself and no one else.
Prior to the release of Sonder’s new single, Faiyaz dropped his “Show U Off” single in honor of Women’s History Month. The track featured production from Atu and Dpat and arrived with a video that spotlighted the many women that seemingly played a significant role in the singer’s life. It arrived after Faiyaz joined Tyler The Creator for “Gravity,” which was shared as a part of Adidas’ Songs From Scratch series.
Jorja Smith on the other hand is a few weeks removed from her “Addicted” single, which arrived not too long after her “Come Over” collaboration with Popcaan.
You can give the track a listen above.
Glastonbury Is Hosting A Big Livestream Concert With Coldplay, Damon Albarn, And Others
It was announced at the top of 2021 that Glastonbury will not be hosting a festival this year (for the second year in a row) due to the pandemic. So, while thousands of people won’t be taking to the festival grounds this summer, they can enjoy a newly announced livestream concert that organizers are hosting.
“Live At Worthy Farm” is a ticketed livestream event that is set for May 22. As the name suggests, the show will take place at Worthy Farm and will feature Coldplay, Gorillaz’s Damon Albarn, Haim, Idles, Wolf Alice, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, DJ Honey Dijon, and other currently unannounced performers.
A global livestream event
Saturday, 22nd May, 2021
Tickets on sale now, at https://t.co/QTGMwdaW9i
For one night only, the greatest show online pic.twitter.com/ymJLc9RmPJ
— Glastonbury Festival (@glastonbury) March 31, 2021
This news shouldn’t surprise fans who have been following Glastonbury’s goings-on in recent months. In January, festival founder Michael Eavis said he wanted to do something to mark the festival’s anniversary: I would like to do something smaller somewhere around the anniversary date of when we started, which was the 18th of September 1970. I would like to consider possibly doing something around that time.” In December, Emily Eavis also noted, “We’re actually looking into the possibility of streaming some things from here if we can’t run the full show next year. We really want to get busy with planning some gigs — even if they’re to be streamed!”
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.