Jorja Smith
A British soul singer with a timeless voice and introspective songwriting who emerged as a defining sound of her generation.
Born 1997 (age 29)·British singer·Birthday: June 11·Generation Z
Biography
Jorja Smith writes with the wisdom of someone who has lived twice her years. Growing up in the West Midlands, she filled notebooks with lyrics from age 11, her sound steeped in the soul of Amy Winehouse and the cool nuance of contemporary R&B. A friend's YouTube upload of a cover catapulted her into the industry, but it was her early self-released singles like 'Blue Lights'—a poignant take on police brutality—that announced a serious artist with something to say. Her debut album, 'Lost & Found,' arrived in 2018 not with bombast, but with a confident, jazz-inflected maturity that won the Mercury Prize nomination and a Brit Award. Smith moves between stark piano ballads and dancefloor-ready collaborations with equal ease, her rich, emotive voice serving as the constant anchor. She represents a new kind of UK star: globally minded, artistically controlled, and emotionally direct.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Jorja was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Jorja Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Jorja's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2015Could vote
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the BRIT Award for British Female Solo Artist in 2019.
- Her debut album 'Lost & Found' was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 2018.
- Collaborated with Kendrick Lamar on the Grammy-nominated soundtrack for 'Black Panther'.
- Headlined major stages including the Other Stage at Glastonbury Festival.
Did You Know?
She worked at a Starbucks in Walsall before her music career took off.
Smith taught herself to play piano by watching YouTube tutorials.
She is a passionate supporter of her local football club, Walsall FC.
Her first name, Jorja, is derived from the Russian name 'Georgi'.
“I just write about what I know, what I see, and what I feel.”
