Jorja Smith Is Ready to Soundtrack Your Summer

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Jorja Smith has a way of always serving her fans what they need through music.

The 27-year-old always knows how to read the room, whether by displaying her innate storytelling power via moody ballads that explore love, heartbreak, and social justice issues or collaborating with other buzzy musical heavyweights like Burna Boy, Kali Uchis, and AJ Tracey. Her latest single, a pounding bass heavy track titled “The Way I Love You,” is an effortlessly timeless dance track that will help kick off summer.

“[Creating the song] was kind of similar to how I wrote ‘Little Things,’ Smith tells Harper’s Bazaar from her home in Walsall. “I was in the studio with my producers and we were just chatting and imagining going out, being somewhere, thinking of somebody that’s maybe you shouldn’t be talking to. That’s how ‘The Way I Love You’ came about.”

Smith’s fans have been hungry for a higher energy sound from her for a while now, but she explains she’s been steadily recording a number of dance tracks in the studio. Her fans are very vocal, never afraid to speak out into the ether of social media about what they want to hear next from the singer. Needless to say, they’ve been eager to dance—and Smith is ready to deliver.

“I’ve been back in that groove, but I just haven’t put anything out like this since I dropped ‘High’ — but you guys don’t know what I’m working on unless they’re out and you can hear them for yourselves if that makes sense,” she says. “I always just make what I feel and wanna write about. I don’t see everything [my fans are saying] but I’m really loving the response [to the new song] and seeing how excited everyone is about it and [how they’re] loving the video. Seeing what people wanna hear doesn’t fully influence what I’m gonna do in the studio, but I know hopefully something will come [from it].”

A fresh musical direction allows an opportunity for Smith to re-explore her personal style as well. Ahead of releasing her new track, Smith went blonde and has been embracing edgy ensembles like laced up corsets, leather trench coats, and perfectly baggy denim. With the help of stylist Aga Dziedzic, Smith feels the most organically herself she ever has style-wise.

“Ada has literally done everything you’ve seen me wear this year. I was loving everything AJ Tracey was wearing and asked who he was working with and I was like, ‘I’d love to work with her too—let’s try it,’” she explains. “It’s mad because since I first moved to London, she’s seen me grow and put out music and what I’ve been wearing over the years. It’s just been really fun and natural working with her, and I feel like it’s not too far from me. Saying ‘it feels good’ is such a boring thing to say, but I feel good in everything that I’ve been wearing recently.”

Fans are already declaring the coming months to be Jorja Smith season—but she has her own thoughts on what would make for the perfect summer. (She laughs when I mention the term “Jorja Smith Summer,” saying, “I don’t want to say that myself, but you can say that for me.”)

“Windows open, music on—garage house, funky house, just big sounds and baseline [is what this summer feels like to me],” she says. “Food…friends…and maybe a few more releases from me.”

Earlier this year, Smith was working on a lengthier project, but after accumulating a number of recorded tracks, she felt as if her heart wasn’t in the material. It wasn’t until recording “The Way I Love You” that she felt she was heading in the direction she needed to be musically.

“[That project] probably won’t see the light of day because… [those songs] just didn’t connect with me as they did when I first wrote them. The week [I started having doubts about it], I went to the studio and made this tune that’s out now,” she says. “[There will be] more singles. I’m just working on songs and seeing what happens, which is kind of what I’ve always done. I’m lucky that I can do that as well—my team’s amazing and I can just be like, ‘maybe this idea I’m not into it anymore–what about this’? And that’s what we’ve done. It feels good and keeps it exciting and keeps people on their toes as well.”

Don’t be surprised if you see a few DJ sets from the singer in due time also; she’s been quietly building her home studio and wanting to perfect her skills on the decks. While the singer is set to tour more in the coming months with those teased singles also on the way, Smith is also soaking up the moment she’s in right now. When asked what’s to come for the remainder of 2025, she smiles and references the building anticipation over her next move. She simply responds, “What we’re all feeling right now…more of this.”

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