Jorja Smith Is Ready to Fly

“You can’t quite tell sometimes whether or not you’re falling or flying,” Jorja Smith says on Zoom. To the musician, the two concepts seem very similar, which is a mystery that partially inspired her latest album.

For the past five years, Smith has been on a journey of flying to escape her innermost fears, but she’s brave enough to admit that she’s still figuring it out. What keeps the British singer and songwriter afloat is music. Since moving to London from her hometown of Walsall in 2015, Smith created a viral song (“Blue Lights”), collaborated with stars like Drake and Kendrick Lamar, and made a foray into superstardom with her 2018 debut album Lost & Found, which helped her garner a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist. But Smith never wanted to be famous. She just wanted to make music that made her whole.

Now, at 26, Smith says she’s still learning to deal with the pressures of fame. To cope with that tension, she moved back home to Walsall and started working on her sophomore album Falling or Flying as a crucial step to discover more about herself while honoring the community that uplifts her.

The album, released on September 29, is a 16-track collection that’s as soothing as a meditation playlist yet as wildly exuberant as riding a rollercoaster for the first time. The root of Smith’s soulful tone lies in its honesty. While the bubbly club mix “Little Things,” uses the dance floor as an escapade into romantic bliss, songs like “Broken Is the Man” and “Backwards” revel in intimate introspection. (“Causе it hurts me if I hurt you / So I hurt you, so you hate me / But you won’t lеave, I can’t get out,” she sings on the latter).

ELLE.com talked to Smith about the source of her honest music, the importance of community, and finding her voice with her new album, Falling or Flying.

What have the past five years been like for you? What have you learned about yourself?

Well through those years, I was touring, then it was lockdown, then I started writing the album, so I’ve learned how to set boundaries and what I actually like. I’m definitely not so much of a people-pleaser anymore. I used to be, but I figure that probably just came with getting older.

How do you get out of trying to be a people-pleaser?

I think just getting older and just realizing when things don’t feel right, what it’s for, who it’s for. If I don’t like it, then I change it or do it differently because no one else has to deal with anything but myself, and I think that’s why I kind of realized that stuff.

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How would you describe who you were five years ago when Lost & Found came out versus who you are now?

I was at the end of being a teenager. I was probably more confident then. I didn’t really care as much. Now, I probably care more about things. I feel the pressure more, I think. Before, I didn’t. Not with my music, but just about what people think of me and shit. I’m trying to be more of that person, so hopefully I’ll get back like that.

You say you were more confident back then. So you’re not as confident now?

With my music, I’m confident, but I was probably more comfortable with myself then. I think that’s just because of the time, like when you’re in the spotlight a bit too much. People’s opinions and shit can hit you, so I feel like over time, it’s just kind of a lot, but I’m trying for it not to. I think everyone probably has these moments in their career.

Did you always want to become famous?

No, I never wanted to be famous. In my yearbook, I got [voted] most likely to be famous because I was so loud and confident about making music, but I didn’t like that attention. I don’t really like attention, which is hilarious. I love performing. I like being in front of a mic, on a stage or even in a studio, but everything else that comes with it, no thanks.

To play on the album title, Falling or Flying, can you describe a moment where you felt like you were falling or flying when creating this album?

Probably recently. I’m still trying to not fall. It’s crazy because I think I was falling when I was creating the album as well, I do, but I’m still trying to fool basically. It’s crazy, because there have been times for them when I was making that album. But it happens.

I think when I started putting music out, which is so crazy, is probably when I started falling because then the pressures and people’s opinions came into it, but when I was making music, I felt I was so happy to get to a point where I’m getting ready to make a second album, just feeling so proud about where I’ve got to. Beforehand, I was flying. And looking back at myself, I’ve been flying. Now, I’m falling, but I won’t be falling for too long. Once I get on stage, I’ll be fine because then I can actually see what I’m actually doing to people.

What is your creative process? How do ideas for songs come to you and in the writing process?

(It’s) random. Music would be playing, whether it’s keys or guitar or a beat, and then I’ll just sing. We always have the mic on and I’ll just sing. Then, I’ll start repeating myself. Sometimes, (the song) will write itself. Other times, no. Other times, I’m singing about something that hasn’t happened. A few songs on the album, I was trying to write them and couldn’t write them, then something happened, and I was like, “Oh, that’s what I was trying to write about,” so I can write it now. The melodies are always there. I have melodies for days, but sometimes I don’t feel like writing. That’s why I like writing with other people because it gives you a different perspective or helps you get out what you’re trying to say. I’m slow at writing sometimes, but it’s also cause like ok I want to do something else, so it’s nice to write collaboratively.

Which song came the most naturally for you to write or record?

“Too Many Times” was really natural….that one was easy. That was just with a guitar. And then I just sang this melody. That is the middle of it. And a lot of the words were there. We went for a walk somewhere and finished writing the song and came back and recorded it. That was easy.

“Little Things” was quite easy. Some of the words were already in it. And then we just imagined a story of being outside and seeing someone you like. “What if My Heart Beats Faster?” was quite easy because I already had most of the words, so we did a freestyle to that.

I noticed that the album seems more experimental and up-tempo than your last album. Was that intentional?

There was no intention. There was no agenda in like, “Ok, we need to do this.” I think it’s just what happened. We just made what felt right. Everything we liked, we put in a folder to go on the album. And there were never too many songs. There was really this one song that I really liked that we wrote before “Little Things” that kind of replaced “Little Things.” But I always was like, “Oh, let’s keep that on there.” It was called “High,” but it didn’t make it. That one was uptempo. It’s funny though, because the [ order of the songs on the] album is flying, then it’s falling.

You said there was a song that “Little Things” replaced?

It was like dancy. It wasn’t the same [as “Little Things”] at all, but it was a song we had in the order, and then we made “Little Things.” It would’ve come after it, but then a discussion was had to take it out. I mean, I don’t miss it on the album. I can always put out another time.

Tell me how “Little Things” came about.

I was chatting downstairs with friends. I had some drinks in the fridge. I had some Magnum, a ting, and some other drinks and was going to make them a concoction, so we made that, and I had a drink and went upstairs. P2J [a producer on the song] was playing this funky beat then New Machine [another producer on the song] was there and he was on the keys and he started playing the piano that you hear on the song. As soon as I heard that, I was like “Oh my God.” I started hearing the verse “it’s the little things,” and I started recording. We’ve got like a whole 10-minute jam session. Anything you hear in the background in that song… So in the beginning of the song, you’ll hear me singing how I made the song. It’s just gibberish, so it’s just melodies and there are some loud noises at the end. I was in the studio just getting gassed when we heard the bass line come in, so there are bits of that in the song.

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That’s interesting because the song certainly sounds like it was made like that.

It was a party. The room was a wreck. Everyone was getting in the way. It’s just like the music video.

Your music definitely feels honest in that way. What’s the source of that?

So whatever I’m thinking of feeling, even if I’m lying to you, or not telling you how I feel, you’ll figure it out in a song. Music is the only place where I feel comfortable. I’m cool to speak my mind, but I’ll say anything in my songs. I don’t care. I’ve always been like that. But I’ve always been like that. Before, when I was younger, there was more honesty in like I want to be in love, but I don’t know what it’s like, so here are these songs about that. But now, I want more experiences to talk about.

Do you feel more grounded now since you’ve moved home?

I feel more myself and even working with [producer] DameDame here and being with more family has grounded me. Loads of my friends moved to London. That’s also why I never went back home much because there was a big group of us. I just missed home and I really like being here. People are proud of me here.

Yeah, I think it’s important to have that support system and a sense of belonging.

I think it’s good, well not good, to experience who you shouldn’t be around to know who you should be around and just being grateful that you have these good people around you, just real people and people that don’t have ulterior motives. It definitely can be like that if you’re far from parents. For me, I love my friends, but I’m very like, I can live in the middle of nowhere with no WI-FI and be quite happy. But, of course, I’ll always think about my friends. Good people are hard to come by, especially when you’re moving around a lot and not living where you’re from. But when you find those people, don’t lose them.

What does this album mean to you now? Has it taken on a new meaning since you started working on it?

I think it will take on a new meaning when I do shows, so then I can see what reaction people have to my songs, hearing people sing the songs with me, see how it makes them feel. I think it will take on a new meaning during that period because this album is really for you guys and not for me.

This interview has been edited and condensed.