In a clustered pop landscape, musical talent alone isn’t enough. Jorja Smith has never lacked the voice, songwriting ability or profile, but at times her versatility has made it difficult to identify exactly where she belongs. On her third album ‘What Are The Odds’, she may have found the centre of her sound.
The revelation is surprisingly simple: thin, shuffly drums and garage synths. Working closely with producer P2J, Smith builds much of the album from the skeletal architecture of UK garage, funky and 2-step, allowing her gorgeous voice to provide the warmth. There are echoes of On My Mind and Little Things, but this feels less like revisiting old successes than recognising what suited her all along.
I Lied, You Lied is perhaps the clearest example. Its sparse, smoky production leaves plenty of space for Smith to dissect a dishonest relationship, sounding simultaneously wounded and adamant that it’s over.
There’s a pleasing tension between the emotional messiness of the lyrics and the precision of the beat: this is heartbreak you can skank to.
Pretend works in a similar fashion, turning romantic exhaustion into something sharper and more confrontational. Smith’s delivery is wonderfully matter-of-fact, while P2J again resists overcrowding the production. The less happening underneath her, the more her lyricism flourishes.
The title track widens the frame, examining fame and the strange isolation that accompanies it while retaining the album’s propulsive rhythm. It’s a useful reminder that dance music doesn't require emotional simplicity. Not everything lands. Across an hour, some of the lighter material lacks bite and the relentless commitment to movement can feel repetitive.
But, for the first time, Smith’s eclecticism feels anchored to a recognisable musical identity in its brittle-yet-persuasive percussion, those garage electronics and that remarkable voice. That seems significant. Rather than immediately searching for a reinvention, ‘What Are The Odds’ suggests Smith should bottom this one out first.
Jorja Smith Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu August 27 2026 - KINGSTON UPON THAMES Circuit
Wed September 02 2026 - MANCHESTER New Century Hall
Sat July 17 2027 - LONDON Arena
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