UK crooner Jorja Smith first broke out onto the scene in 2018 with her highly-regarded debut record Lost & Found. The singer has since remained relatively quiet, returning in June with a silky-smooth cover of a jazz track for a compilation by renowned label Blue Note Records. Now, Smith has once again offered a track for a compilation, this time for Roc Nation’s benefit record Reprise.
Smith shared the compelling number “By Any Means” Thursday. The lead single for the social justice-oriented Reprise compilation, Smith’s track addresses the history of pain and oppression that has lead to today’s Black Lives Matter movement. “I can see the change, feel the heat of the fire / If you can feel the pain then you know you’re alive / Both feet on the line,” she sings.
In a statement about the track, Smith says: “The inspiration behind ‘By Any Means’ really came from going to the Black Lives Matter protest and leaving thinking, what can I do to keep this conversation going? It’s not just a post on social media, it’s life.”
Roc Nation’s upcoming Reprise release aims to raise awareness over issues of mass incarceration and racial injustices. Proceeds from the compilation will benefit the nonprofit organizations The Gathering for Justice, NACDL Foundation for Criminal Justice, Equal Justice Initiative, and the Cop Accountability Project.
Listen to “By Any Means” above.
