British singer Jorja Smith is such a fresh face in the music scene that she’s touring without a full album to support. She’s also just 20 years old. But she played Coachella this year and arrives in San Francisco with a growing reputation as a thoughtful soul stylist. It doesn’t hurt that she collaborated with Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar for a song on the Black Panther soundtrack.
My co-host Ariana Proehl and I love Smith’s classically-trained and supple voice, as well as her mastery of the slow jam — a perfect salve for healing a broken heart. I also admire anyone who cites Curtis Mayfield as an inspiration. She plays the Regency Ballroom April 24 with Ama Lou, another voice from the younger generation of British pop stars. Details here.
