Jorja Smith @ Howard Theatre - 5/13/2018
Recently, the Howard Theatre housed a sold-out crowd eagerly awaiting Jorja Smith’s final U.S. tour stop. Her rapid rise to stardom begun only just two years ago at the age of 18 when “Blue Lights” was released on Soundcloud. Since then, she has released numerous singles and an exceptionally well-received EP, Project 11. Despite hailing from the U.K., she’s gained a strong international following stemming from touring North America with Bruno Mars in 2017 and also being featured on projects by two of hip hop’s biggest juggernauts in Drake and Kendrick Lamar. With a debut album soon to release and a 2018 Brit Critics Choice Award, it’s easy to see why the hype around her is warranted.
Jorja Smith performing at Howard Theatre (photo by Avery Junius / @1takeace)
Nowadays, cell phones rising in the crowd before a concert headliner is indicative of mass anticipation and excitement, and it was impossible not to notice the number of lit screens as fans prepared to record Jorja Smith’s grand entrance to the stage. Her ability to create songs that incorporate elements of R&B, jazz, funk, pop, and rap is loved dearly by her loyal fans, and the intimacy that her tracks provide to listeners is expressed to a greater extent live and in person. Over the course of her set Smith performed her popular singles “Where Did I Go,” “Let Me Down,” and “Blue Lights,” as well as her latest track “Teenage Fantasy” with heavy assistance from her fans. Along with the fan favorites she treated the sold-out crowd to a handful of unreleased tracks off of her debut album and two beautiful covers of TLC’s “Scrubs” and Frank Ocean’s “Lost.” Capping off the performance was the catchy “On My Mind.”
Opening the night for Jorja Smith was London’s 20-year-old Ama Lou, another exciting artist getting her time in the spotlight, thanks in no small part to her recently released a three track EP, DDD. Even though Jorja Smith was the main attraction Sunday, fans welcomed, and clearly adored, Ama Lou’s warm voice and vast vocal range she exhibited. The highlight of her set that displayed just how talented Ama Lou is was her performing an unfinished song that she’s been writing since she was 11 with her guitar in hand. The audience encouraged and cheered her on, and Ama Lou delivered.
