JORJA SMITH

The fact that Jorja Smith was compared early in her career to singers like Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse, and Rihanna quickly turned the British artist—with her retro sound blending pop and R&B—into a highly hyped newcomer. She made her breakthrough as early as 2016 after Drake took her on tour throughout the UK, laying the foundation for a career of global proportions. Collaborations with Kanye West, Travis Scott, Young Thug, Burna Boy, and 2 Chainz—as well as her debut album, which debuted at No. 3 on the UK album charts—cemented Jorja Smith’s early success, which was also reflected in several awards. In addition to the Critic’s Choice Award at the 2018 BRIT Awards and the award for Best British Solo Artist (2019), Jorja Smith was nominated for “Best New Artist” at the Grammys. With “What Are The Odds,” Jorja Smith has now released her third studio album, which will bring the singer from England to Germany in June 2027 for two concerts. There, she will perform her biggest headline shows to date on German soil at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf and the Zitadelle in Berlin.

Music played a role in Jorja Smith’s life from an early age. As the daughter of a neo-soul musician, she learned to play the piano and oboe at a young age and began taking classical vocal lessons in school. At age 11, she wrote her first song and soon began posting cover songs on YouTube, which led to her being discovered by a manager at age 15. In 2016, she debuted with her single “Blue Lights,” which was released on SoundCloud, and that same year landed her first major-label deal with Sony/ATV, which really got her career rolling. After a UK tour opening for Drake and a U.S. tour with Bruno Mars, Jorja Smith’s debut album “Lost & Found” finally cemented her breakthrough. After releasing several singles and the EP “Be Right Back” (2021), Jorja Smith once again reached the Top 3 of the UK album charts in 2023 with her second album, “Falling or Flying.” Since then, Jorja Smith has released various singles and appeared as a featured artist on songs by AJ Tracey, Shygirl, Major League DJz, DAMEDAME*, Venna, Mobb Deep, Wesley Joseph, Nia Archives, and Odeal.

In mid-August, Jorja Smith released her latest lead single, “I Lied, You Lied,” which follows seamlessly from her collaboration with Wizkid (“Alive”) and the song “What’s Done Is Done”—all of which served as a preview of her new album. “What Are The Odds” was released on August 21 and was created in collaboration with Jorja Smith’s longtime producer P2J. The result is the singer-songwriter’s most danceable work to date, as she lets loose across her usual broad spectrum of garage, grime, soul, and Afro-house. Across twelve songs, “What Are The Odds” tells stories of love, friendship, loss, growth, and self-discovery, carried above all by the 29-year-old singer’s honest and authentic songwriting.