Jorja Smith w/ Ravyn Lenae
Showbox SoDo, Seattle, WA
11.19.18
When the Black Panther soundtrack dropped earlier this year, it felt like the whole world zeroed in on it. A project of Kendrick Lamar, The Weekend, and SZA, the album was meant to feature some of the most notable black artists from the past few years, and it fully lived up to its hype. With tracks from Khalid, Travis Scott, and ScHoolboy Q, to name a few, the album showed off all different genres and musical styles. One of the gems of the collection was Jorja Smith’s “I Am,” my first introduction to her.
After such a crazy good feature on the Black Panther album, Smith’s own debut, Lost & Found, was easily set up for success when it dropped this summer. The album shows off her voice perfectly, and her live show promised even more.
Seattle’s Showbox SoDo was blessed to be the first stop on her tour, with support from opener, Ravyn Lenae. An upbeat, falsetto-toned girl with a bubbly attitude and the songs to match, Lenae is fiery, she’s funny, and she’s overall just a fun performer.
Starting her own set with “Lost & Found,” Smith established herself right from the start. She came on wearing a dress that looked like an old bedsheet awkwardly tied up and bunched up in places but still managed to look gorgeous in it. Looking like an angel, backlit by warm lights, Smith let her voice carry through the crowd as everyone stared in awe.
She continued her set with “Teenage Fantasy” and “February 3rd,” two of my favorites that were jaw-dropping to hear live. There’s something about the confidence she carries herself with, the passion she sings with, and the way she smiles at the crowd that elevates her voice to the next level.
Smith closed the night wonderfully with her Black Panther feature and a few other tracks. One of the most talented singers around right now, Smith’s beautiful voice left Seattle floating out of the venue in a happy daze.
Review and photos by Lulu Dawson
Jorja Smith
Ravyn Lenae
