Jorja Smith has returned with her new single “Try Me,” available globally via her independent label, FAMM. Produced by duo DAMEDAME*, “Try Me” is a catchy, drum-heavy sound, the inspiration of which stems from “Putting yourself out there, in front of a world that has many opinions as it only ever used to be me really being my own critic,” Jorja states on the single.

It’s as urgent as it is compelling, complete with a video directed by Amber Grace Johnson, which is in turn both majestic and captivating, with a chopped up, collaged structure perfectly mirroring the landscape it maps; a place of beauty and danger, of frustration and dogged resistance.

Shot around the suburbs of Marseille, France – the visual opens with Jorja lying and crawling softly in the moonlight preparing for battle. With the lyrics as our guide, this video is a metaphor through interpretative dance – a ritualistic game between Jorja and The World and a precursor for what’s to come in this new era. Says Jorja, “The dancer, Andrea Bou Othmane, embodies a bull which represents the world and its opinions out of my control.” Soon after, set in the Amphitheatre in Arles, a theatrical La Horde inspired routine embarks; a scene of which oscillates between power and vulnerability, showcasing a symbolic portrayal of the song.

To conclude, the viewer is transported to a shift in tone. A new scene arrives, something tender and unexpected. Inspired by musician Charlotte Moorman’s 1965 human cello; the come down after the fight, disarmed and gentle – showcasing a victorious defeat.

Entering a chapter of her return to music, what has changed for her: “I like this world that I’ve just come into. And I’m still figuring things out. Always figuring things out.” Jorja says. “This is the first time I’m putting stuff out there that I can connect with right now.” Over the last few years, it’s been a reflective and transformative step into her mid twenties for her. She’s been able to step into herself and evolve as a songwriter and a woman despite an ever-changing musical landscape.

While she recognises that the global pandemic has been completely devastating, she acknowledges that it allowed her to stay still, to come more into herself, and to be more in control of the person she is, and of her musical output. Like some of the legendary musicians that came before her, Jorja is looking at the chaos and disorder in the world right now with resourceful, refined eyes.

order “Try Me” by Jorja HERE