English singer/songwriter Jorja Smith has returned and her fans are here for it. Smith’s first studio album, “Lost and Found,” released in 2018 when Smith was 18. The album was widely well received with Pitchfork rating it at an astounding 8.1. Smith gained international popularity after being featured on Drake’s “Get it Together,” from his 2017 album “More Life.”
Since then, she has appeared on projects such as “Isolation” by Kali Uchis and the Black Panther soundtrack by Kendrick Lamar. Following these highly successful features, Smith has finally released her second album “falling or flying.”
Smith has been able to create an R&B album that is full of soul yet is funky and fun. Songs such as “GO GO GO,” “Feelings” and “Little Things” all capture that soulful, funky feeling of the album. On “Feelings” she features English rapper J Hus, who I wasn’t familiar with until this track. J Hus brings a new element to the track with the combination of his rapping and Jorja’s singing creating the perfect R&B/Hip-Hop feeling that we are so familiar with. However, it still has that English influence that feels like a fresh sound to someone who is not familiar with the recent English drill/rap renaissance.
The second half of the album becomes much more calm and heartfelt. Although the funky aspect of the album is gone, it doesn’t take away from the overall feeling. A few songs that stand out here are “Broken is the man,” “Lately,” and “What if my heart beats faster.” These tracks are some of my favorites and show the capabilities of Smith’s voice that were apparent on her first album.
Overall, Jorja Smith’s “falling or flying” was a great listening experience and is the perfect mix of profound feelings of vulnerability and fun.