Jorja Smith’s 2018 debut album, Lost & Found, was a culmination of both uncertainty and self-discovery. A series of experiences, it consisted of songs that she wrote from the ages of 16 to 20. It was a promising display of talent where Smith realized her full potential. Five years removed from Lost & Found, Smith has found herself as she has continued to deliver the honest and heartfelt soul that she is known for. She reinforced her greatest musical strengths on her 2021 EP, Be Right Back, which bridged the gap between her debut and her latest work. This time between albums has clearly allowed Jorja Smith to develop her skill set for Falling or Flying, her second album and boldest release yet.
Artistic Growth
Since Lost & Found, Jorja Smith has experimented with various musical styles, including jazz, dancehall, amapiano, and beyond. On Falling or Flying, she continues to flourish while discovering new musical territory. Smith floats over the lively dance instrumental on “Little Things,” a standout single that lends fun energy to an emotional album. There is also “GO GO GO,” a pop-rock anthem that displays her limitless versatility. Compared to the many somber moments on the album’s tracklist, it is one of the most dynamic songs. However, it is still an emotional track about letting go of someone unwilling to commit.
The song “Backwards” displays Jorja Smith’s growth in its lyrics and instrumentation. She sings about growing out of a relationship and learning from those experiences over UK drill-inspired percussion. On the track, Smith emulates her 2022 collaboration with FKA twigs and Unknown T. No matter how foreign or familiar the musical style may be, she sounds comfortable throughout the album’s varied tracklist. While Lost & Found was a solo journey, Falling or Flying includes features from J Hus and Lila Iké. “Feelings” with Hus reaffirms the chemistry the two displayed earlier this year on “Nice Body.” On “Greatest Gift,” Smith and Iké’s smooth voices complement each other as they both show their gratitude toward a love interest. The album’s two features are welcome bonuses, but Jorja Smith is the star of the show.
Reestablishing Smith's Signature Sound
Jorja Smith has perfected both her unique sound and the ability to grasp her deepest emotions in her songwriting. Falling or Flying is a natural evolution of her artistic growth as she expands her repertoire and builds on her own sound. On her second album, she sounds more sure of herself than ever before. The opening song, “Try Me,” sees Jorja Smith at her most confident as she daringly faces an opinionated world over a pounding rhythm. It is this confidence that permeates the rest of the album, allowing Smith to challenge herself musically and be vulnerable in her songwriting. While she tries her hand at different musical styles, she reestablishes her signature sound of bluesy and soulful R&B music. Songs like “She Feels” and “Lately” are heartfelt songs with downbeat bass lines that accentuate the vulnerable lyrical content.
Jorja Smith Soars On Her Second Album
Falling or Flying consists of some of the best songwriting of Jorja Smith’s career so far. The title track says it all as she sings about the desire for her love interest to not hold back in their relationship. She artfully contrasts “night and day” and “love and lust” to exemplify their connection. Arguably the best lyric on the entire album, and one that sums it up quite perfectly, is when she sings, “I could be fallin’ or flyin’, I wouldn’t know the difference.”
The song “Broken is the Man” is also some of Smith’s best writing to date. In the verses, she sings about finding the man she wants to be with, as well as who she should be with. The chorus continues this concept more specifically. Jorja sings about a man who told her she was broken and a man who put her down, eventually coming to a moment of self-actualization that she was “never broken, ‘cause broken is the man.”
The emotional ballads on Falling or Flying are sprinkled throughout the tracklist, where Jorja Smith tries her hand at new styles and genres. Its best moments are the most unpredictable, as well as the most vulnerable. The slowest songs toward the end of the album do drag the flow of the sequence, but each song is well-composed. Overall, Falling or Flying is some of Jorja Smith’s best work yet. At 16 tracks, she satisfies listeners with a skillful blend of pain, joy, and comfort.