Jorja Smith, the new Amy Winehouse ‘millennial’

“I do Not seek fame or recognition, but the honesty,” says Jorja Smith. Just 21 years old and has been raised this year for such a dust-up with his debut, Lost and Found (including comparisons stylistic with Amy Winehouse) seems to be concentrated in doing everything well. Hence that statement of the british.

MORE INFORMATION why Jorja Smith is the Lauryn Hill of the new generation

In Madrid he performed for the first time in September in the University City, in the central stage of the festival DCode, in a debut described as demure. Smith student a privileged and precocious of the new rhythm & blues with dressing urban, from Walsall to Birmingham, and with 17 years he had already shocked a few lookouts with Blue Lights, a dark chronicle of police violence in your city. The song dazzles in this first LP, exhibition of soul, contemporary and emotive, with a point of vitriol and uneasiness in the throat, that was going for the coveted Mercury the best album british of the season. “To have arrived there already is a prize enough, I agree with that,” she notes with a neat diplomacy, always more contained in person than on his recordings. What if I had to bet on a winner? “I'm sorry, I never bet money,” ditch flatly.

Done well, especially because the award was finally made in Visions of Life, the quartet's london-based Wolf Alice, who was not among the favorites. But the rise of Smith seems unstoppable, with or without figurines, after you have already been claimed by Kendrick Lamar (face to the soundtrack of Black Panther) or to go on tour with Bruno Mars. What causes dizziness the future? “I prefer not to think about it, because I am not able to make long-term forecasts. I don't even know what I'll do in a couple of days. Since small I was afraid the movies futurists, those who imagine how the world will be in a few years. I prefer to think of how it is today”.

Other voices with soul singer Sabrina Claudio. Shareif Ziyadat WireImage

over the last few months have been generated by other voices jovencísimas that refresh the essence of the rhythm ‘n’ blues with other sounds more urban:

She Mai. Feeling of was Instagram, which he went up versions, and has 2.2 million followers, this london-based 24 year old has just released her first and self-titled album, preceded by the enormous success of the theme Boo'd up. Between Lauryn Hill, Chris Brown, or M. I. A.: what has it all to become big.

Cosima. London and, even without large disk, only Mariobet simple and epés. Does the successor of de Sade?

Sabrina Claudio. Natural Miami, but blood cuban and puerto rican. 22 years old, sensual vials and a recent EP of eight songs, No Rain, No Flowers, sound silky and elegant.

Norma Norman. The great hope local. It is of Sabadell, resides in Madrid, sings in perfect English, supports devotion by John Legend and has made his debut this year with the very notable Chaos, also inspired in the soul of a new project that started to become widespread in the nineties.

Alice Wonder. Madrid's 98 and introduced by Jorge Gonzalez, keyboardist of Vetusta Morla. His is an approach more indie, but also with gaze to the black music.

That way of feeling, of demanding with herself, although without expectations exorbitant, seems to be the leitmotif of a girl that supports millions of glances to an age when life still tends to abide by a sweet nonchalance. “If you think in terms of pressure, I sink, so I just shot it forward,” he argues. “Of course there are a lot of people prestándome attention, but I'm not any regarding generational. I can only speak for me.” And he stresses, even in tone, firmer: “I do Not think any heroin. I'm just me.”

Smith, who also bears witness to the nightmare of immigration in Lifeboats (Freestyle), it has had by now not only of the blessing of the young, but veteran gurus television as Jools Holland. It is not difficult to sympathize with the amorous Teenage Fantasy or with that final stretch of the album (Goodbyes, Tomorrow) more baladístico. His father suggested to him, already with eight years, to write poems and took his first piano lessons. Since then, Smith has managed to bring order to the florida relationship of influences that was working in a home that never was in silence, because the music sounded at all hours”: from Michael Jackson to Black Sabbath or Madeleine Peyroux, with scales that are featured in the names of Lily Allen or John Legend.

And Amy Winehouse, of course. Always Amy. His death —July of 2011— he was surprised to school age, still little aware of the relevance of the character. “By then, I knew nothing of his problems with the press, or the drugs, from all these circumstances, terrible, which reflects the documentary Amy. But his voice was authentic, it was very real. It came from within”. And it is at this point where the comparisons, far from uncomfortable, will flatter. “I also want to sound more real. Direct. Simple. In fact, I have already decided that my second album was I singing live. Nor do I need to illustrious guests; in any case, a good writer, someone very honest with his lyrics,” he announces.

Honesty: that first of all. A helper notifies Smith that time is running out, but before we asked him what he thinks about his 21 years on current affairs. The Brexit, for example. And the artist snorts and shrugs her shoulders: “I Know that is not good, so it has been explained to me by my father, but I do not have a strong view. Honestly, I need to learn more of politics...”.