Jorja Smith is trading in her signature soul for the club. Her third studio album, What Are the Odds, arrived August 21 via FAMM, a 12-track record built entirely around dance music, pulling from UK garage, grime, 2-step, funky house, soulful house, and Afro house. It’s produced in full by longtime collaborator P2J, whose credits include Beyoncé and Stormzy.
The album features a standout collaboration with Wizkid on “Alive,” plus grime veteran Devlin lending his voice to “This City.” Smith says the shift in sound came naturally. “This is music to make you move,” she explained. “I want people to hear it on the dancefloor, where the sun is shining, in the car and in their headphones on the night bus home. This is a record for driving and vibing.”
Critics are already on board, with both NME and Rolling Stone UK awarding the project four stars. Smith celebrated the release with a co-headline set alongside Tems at All Points East Festival, and she’ll bring the album to North America for five headline dates starting in November.
