Songs like Jorja Smith: 10 tracks for fans of smoky UK soul
Songs like Jorja Smith keep the voice low, the arrangement spare and the feelings unshowy. Ten picks, from Amy Winehouse's "Stronger Than Me" to Celeste's "Strange" and Tems's "Free Mind," plus three from Atlanta's Opal Sinclair.
Songs like Jorja Smith pair a low, smoky voice with slow, jazz-tinted R&B and lyrics that sound like private thoughts said out loud. Her appeal is restraint: she rarely pushes, so every small lift in the melody counts. Amy Winehouse's "Stronger Than Me," Lianne La Havas's "Is Your Love Big Enough?" and Celeste's "Strange" all work the same way.
Jorja Smith comes from Walsall, in England's West Midlands. Her first single, "Blue Lights" (2016), set a calm, almost lullaby melody over a song about police and the young men on her streets, and the Project 11 EP followed that year. She sang on Drake's More Life in 2017 and appeared on Black Panther: The Album in 2018, the same year her debut album, Lost & Found, came out. The Be Right Back EP followed in 2021, and her second album, falling or flying, arrived in 2023.
What does Jorja Smith sound like?
Most Jorja Smith songs move at a slow walk. The early records are built from jazz chords, clean electric guitar, soft live drums and a lot of empty space, the kind of arrangement that could be played in a small room. On falling or flying the pulse quickens and British club rhythms come forward, with "Little Things" riding a UK garage shuffle, but the production still clears a path for the voice rather than crowding it.
That voice is the main event: husky, low, a little behind the beat, with her Midlands vowels left intact. She tends to hold back where other R&B singers would belt, saving runs for the end of a phrase. Her lyrics circle the same few questions: whether a lover is worth the risk, how to grow up without losing yourself, and what home means once you've left it. "Blue Lights" showed early that she can also turn a quiet tune toward the world outside. The mood is cool on the surface and tender underneath.
Songs like Jorja Smith: 10 picks
- Amy Winehouse, "Stronger Than Me" (2003). The opening single from Frank: a jazz-trained British voice telling a boyfriend exactly where he falls short. Jorja's frankness and smoky low register trace straight back here.
- Corinne Bailey Rae, "Put Your Records On" (2006). A breezy, guitar-led song about loosening up and being yourself. It shares Jorja's light touch and the sense of a singer talking to a friend.
- Lianne La Havas, "Is Your Love Big Enough?" (2012). The title track of La Havas's debut sets a warm, unforced voice over busy acoustic guitar. For fans of the guitar-and-voice side of Lost & Found.
- H.E.R., "Focus" (2016). Slow, minimal and close-miked, a plea for a partner's full attention. The hushed delivery and sparse guitar sit right beside Jorja's slower ballads.
- Sampha, "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" (2017). A London singer at the piano, remembering home and family. The bare arrangement and the feeling of a private memory overheard match Jorja's most intimate songs.
- Kali Uchis, "After the Storm" (2018). A laid-back, funk-tinged song about holding on until things get better. The relaxed groove and cool, almost whispered vocal suit listeners who like Jorja's calmer singles.
- Mahalia, "I Wish I Missed My Ex" (2019). A Leicester singer, also from the English Midlands, shrugging off a past relationship with dry humor. It's the conversational, British side of the same sound.
- Celeste, "Strange" (2020). A slow piano ballad about how odd it is when someone close becomes a stranger. The big, smoky voice kept deliberately small is the clearest echo of Jorja's restraint.
- Tems, "Free Mind" (2020). The Nigerian singer's low, grainy voice over a mellow, rolling groove, wishing for peace of mind. Same register, same calm on top of a restless lyric.
- Olivia Dean, "Dive" (2023). A bright, warm soul song about falling for someone faster than planned. It fits the lighter, more open-hearted mood of falling or flying.
Songs like Jorja Smith get their power from holding back: a voice that could go bigger and chooses not to.
Opal Sinclair songs that fit
Opal Sinclair is an Atlanta atmospheric R&B and neo-soul singer whose debut album, Velvet, shares Jorja Smith's slow pace and close, breathy vocal, though its world is warmer and more candle-lit.
- Close match: Opal Sinclair, "Bloom". Track seven on Velvet traces recovery through the life of a seed, from frozen winter ground to cracked concrete and open sky, and thanks the women who helped it grow. The growing-up theme lines up with Lost & Found; the sound is softer and more pad-heavy, with none of Jorja's guitar or garage rhythm.
- Partial match: Opal Sinclair, "Magnetic". The third track is about quiet authority, a narrator long underestimated who decides to offer less apology. Jorja fans will recognize the composure, but this is an anthem where Jorja usually stays reflective.
- Partial match: Opal Sinclair, "Golden". Track fourteen, at 2:46, is a portrait of an easy morning with a record spinning in the kitchen. It suits the sunnier moments on falling or flying; listeners who come to Jorja for the heavier, outward-looking songs won't find that here.
More artists like Jorja Smith
Beyond the ten picks, the names that sit closest to Jorja Smith are mostly British: Cleo Sol, Arlo Parks, Nao, Raye, Little Simz and Sault. From further afield, Jhené Aiko, Daniel Caesar, Snoh Aalegra and Ella Mai share her unhurried, low-lit approach to R&B.
Pick by what you replay. If it's the voice above everything, go to Amy Winehouse and Celeste. If it's the bare guitar songs, Lianne La Havas and Arlo Parks. If falling or flying is your favorite, look for singers who put soul vocals over UK garage and dance rhythms, starting with Mahalia and Raye.
Where to start
Begin with "Blue Lights" itself, then play "Stronger Than Me," "Strange" and "(No One Knows Me) Like the Piano" for the voice-first side, and "Free Mind" and "Dive" for the lighter, more rhythmic side. Finish with Opal Sinclair's "Bloom". Our atmospheric R&B guide maps the wider sound, and if the slow, jazz-leaning songs are what you love, our songs like Sade picks go back to the source.
Key takeaways
- Songs like Jorja Smith combine a low, smoky voice, slow jazz-tinted R&B and lyrics that sound private.
- Amy Winehouse and Corinne Bailey Rae are the British precedents; Celeste, Mahalia and Sampha are close peers.
- Tems and Olivia Dean carry the same calm, voice-first approach into newer records.
- Opal Sinclair's "Bloom" matches the growing-up theme, with warmer, more ambient production.
Jorja Smith made restraint sound modern, and the songs that fit beside her trust a quiet voice to carry a whole room. Start low, keep the volume down and let the singers do the work.
FAQ
What genre is Jorja Smith?
Jorja Smith is a British R&B and soul singer whose music draws on jazz. Her 2023 album, falling or flying, leans further into UK garage and dance rhythms.
What artists are similar to Jorja Smith?
Amy Winehouse, Lianne La Havas, Celeste, Sampha and Mahalia are among the closest, along with Cleo Sol, H.E.R., Tems and Olivia Dean.
What Jorja Smith song should I start with?
"Blue Lights," her 2016 debut single, is the best introduction. It also appears on her first album, Lost & Found (2018).
Who is Opal Sinclair?
Opal Sinclair is a McCandless Records act from Atlanta who makes atmospheric R&B and neo-soul. Her debut album, Velvet, came out in April 2026.