Lost & Found (Jorja Smith album)

Lost & Found is the debut studio album by English singer and songwriter Jorja Smith. It was released on 8 June 2018 by FAMM, with distribution from The Orchard.[3] Writing and recording for the album took place over five years in London and Los Angeles. The sessions featured contributions from producers such as Jeff Kleinman, Michael Uzowuru, Tom Misch, Maaike Lebbing, among others.

Lost & Found
Studio album by Jorja Smith
Released	8 June 2018 (2018-06-08)
Studio	Forwa3D, Red Bull, Fish Factory and The Sauna in London King Size in Los Angeles
Genre	Pop R&B[1]
Length	46:00
Label	FAMM
Producer	Cadenza Charlie Perry Ed Thomas Felix Joseph Jason Pounds Jeff Kleinman Joel Compass Ben Joyce Maaike Lebbing Michael Uzowuru Tom Misch Engine Earz
Jorja Smith chronology
Project 11 (2016) Lost & Found (2018)
Singles from Lost & Found
"Blue Lights" Released: 26 February 2016 "Where Did I Go?" Released: 22 May 2016 "Teenage Fantasy" Released: 5 June 2017 "February 3rd" Released: 24 May 2018 "On Your Own" Released: 20 September 2018 "The One" Released: 7 December 2018 "Don't Watch Me Cry" Released: 15 February 2019[2] "Goodbyes" Released: 10 June 2019

Lost & Found was acclaimed by music critics, who commended its composition, style, lyrical content and Smith's vocal delivery. It debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart and number one on the UK R&B Chart. It is certified Silver by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Internationally the album performed moderately making appearances on charts in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. It was supported by the singles: "Blue Lights", "Where Did I Go?", "Teenage Fantasy" and "February 3rd".

Background

In 2015 at the age of 18, Smith moved to London and was living with her aunt and uncle, working as a Starbucks barista, spending breaks recording lyrics into Voicenotes on her phone.[4] Her move to London inspired the album's title, Smith travelled to Ladbroke Grove and had a realisation that she felt lost, yet knew exactly where she wanted to be: "I feel like wherever I go I’m still quite lost, but there’s a sense of ‘found’ in that I'm right where I want to be. Lost and found is how I feel.”[5] During college Smith was researching racial discrimination towards students, which would influence "Blue Lights". The song was released to Soundcloud in early 2016 and featured a Dizzee Rascal sample. The song was picked up by Stormzy and Skrillex upon release, and in March 2017 Smith met with Drake to record vocals for his ‘More Life’ playlist.[6]

Smith followed an unconventional style when creating the album. Smith had already written all the album's songs before she decided she wanted to release an album. Her label suggested she pick songs from a list she had already worked on and create the album from them. Unlike other albums Lost & Found has no concept and instead was a collection of songs written by Smith from the age of 16 to 21.[7] Smith co-wrote "The One" with her boyfriend and producer Joel Compass. The night before the song was conceived Smith and Compass decided not to make their relationship official as Smith was set to go on tour to America. This led Smith and Compass to create "The One" which discusses meeting the right person at the wrong time.[8]

Release and promotion

In 2016, Smith began releasing songs online including "Blue Lights" and "Where Did I Go?".[9] She performed unreleased tracks "The One" and "On Your Own" during her set at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on 15 April 2018 and announced the title Lost & Found through her social media accounts on 20 April 2018.[10] That same month, she made her American late-night television debut on Jimmy Kimmel Live! with a performance of "Blue Lights".[11]

Singles

In January 2016, Smith released her debut single "Blue Lights", which samples Dizzee Rascal's song "Sirens", on SoundCloud; the song garnered 400,000 plays on the website within a month.[12]

On 5 June 2017, Smith released "Teenage Fantasy".[13]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.5/10[14]
Metacritic	81/100[15]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[16]
Consequence of Sound	B[17]
Exclaim!	9/10[18]
Financial Times	[19]
The Guardian	[20]
NME	[6]
The Observer	[21]
Pitchfork	8.1/10[22]
Q	[23]
The Times	[24]

Lost & Found received widespread acclaim from music critics. On Metacritic, the album received a weighted average score of 81, based on 16 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[15] Ryan Patrick of Exclaim! praised the album, writing that it is "safe yet edgy, simple yet complex, ambitious yet relaxed" and a "solid start" for Smith.[18] Lewis Lister of Clash described Lost & Found as "a brilliant first draft" while commending the album's production and stylistic blends.[25] Ludovic Hunter-Tilney of Financial Times believed the album "comes across as thoughtful and authentic, the true measure of its success" and that it is "a composed piece of work."[19] Simon Edwards of The Line of Best Fit described it as a "polished pop" album that is "skilfully arranged so that most music fans will be able to unearth some element that they can relate to."[26] Leigh Sanders of Express & Star concluded that Lost & Found is "polished with a full sound, a mixture of pop and R&B that sounds intimate and delicate given her often softer approach to vocals."[1]

Kieren Yates of The Guardian wrote that Lost & Found is "a well-paced album full of gentle vocals, catchy pop hooks and a playful relationship with the pains of youth, love and insecurity", although the "sparse and uninspiring production doesn’t save the songs from feeling forgettable at times."[20] In Variety, Jem Aswad said that the album "lingers by the exit — the last three tracks all feel like closers" but is cohesive and can appeal to different audiences.[27]

In a mixed review, Thomas Smith of NME, found the album a "drag" and that it "often relies too heavily on the jazz-tinged R&B formula", adding that "the record is far more entertaining when she deviates from the template."[6]

Accolades

Lost & Found was nominated for a Mercury Prize, with the album being one of 12 to be shortlisted for the award.[28]

Commercial performance

The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart for the week dated 15 June 2018, selling a total of 7,390 album-equivalent units.[29] It also debuted at number four on the UK's Official Record Store Chart, which consists of the UK's biggest albums of the week sold through 100 UK independent record shops, based on sales of CDs, vinyl and other formats.[30] As of September 2018, the album had sold 41,983 copies in the United Kingdom.[31] The album was later certified silver by the British Phonographic Industry for shipments of 60,000 copies.

Track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Producer(s)	Length
1.	"Lost & Found"	Jorja Smith Charlie Perry	Perry	5:14
2.	"Teenage Fantasy"	Smith Perry Peter Meredith	Perry	3:46
3.	"Where Did I Go?"	Smith Michael Stafford Oliver Rodigan Sam Wills	Cadenza	3:11
4.	"February 3rd"	Smith Stafford Jeff Kleinman Michael Uzowuru Jason Pounds	Uzowuru Kleinman Pounds	4:02
5.	"On Your Own"	Smith Pounds	Pounds	4:01
6.	"The One"	Smith Joel Compass Ed Thomas Maaike Lebbing Amanda Ghost	Compass Kito^[a]	3:17
7.	"Wandering Romance"	Smith Stafford Felix Joseph	Joseph	4:35
8.	"Blue Lights"	Smith Ben Joyce Guy Bonnet Roland Romanelli Dylan Mills Nicholas Detnon	Joice Engine Earz^[a]	4:10
9.	"Lifeboats (Freestyle)"	Smith Tom Misch	Misch	2:52
10.	"Goodbyes"	Smith Thomas		3:50
11.	"Tomorrow"	Smith Stafford Thomas	Thomas	3:52
12.	"Don't Watch Me Cry"	Smith		3:10
Total length:				46:00

Notes

• ^{^[a]} signifies an additional producer

Sample credits

• "Blue Lights" contains a sample of "Amour, émoi... et vous", written and performed by Guy Bonnet and Roland Romanell; and "Sirens" written and performed by Dizzee Rascal.

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal album liner notes.[32]

• Jorja Smith – vocals

Production Charlie Perry - production (tracks 1 and 2) Cadenza - production (track 3) Michael Uzowuru – production (track 4) Kito – additional production (track 6), vocal production (track 6) Felix Joseph - production (track 7) Joice – production (track 8) Tom Misch – production (track 9) Ed Thomas - production (track 11) Engine Earz - additional production (track 8) Technical Ricky Damian – engineering (tracks 1, 7, 9, and 11) Nitin Sawhney - programming (track 6) Daniel Trachtenberg – engineering (track 10) Antonio Feola – engineering (track 12) Engine Earz – mixing (all tracks), mastering (all tracks)

Instrumentation Charlie Perry - bass (track 1), keyboards (track 1) Anna Phoebe – violins (track 6) Mutale Chashi – bass (track 6) David Dyson – drums (track 5), percussion (track 6) Nitin Sawhney – strings (track 6), orchestration (track 6), arranger (track 6) Felix Joseph – synths (track 7), bass (track 7), drums (track 7) Michael Stafford – guitar (track 7) DJ Complexion – cuts (track 8) Benjamin Totten – guitar (tracks 10 and 11) Ed Thomas – bass (track 11), piano (track 11) Femi Koleoso – drums (track 11) Mike Excell – live drums (track 11) Amané Suganami – piano (track 12)

Charts

Weekly charts Chart (2018) Peak position Australian Albums (ARIA)[33] 13 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[34] 12 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[35] 22 Canadian Albums (Billboard)[36] 42 Czech Albums (ČNS IFPI)[37] 63 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[38] 31 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[39] 12 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[40] 61 Irish Albums (IRMA)[41] 14 Irish Independent Albums (IRMA)[42] 1 New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[43] 16 Scottish Albums (OCC)[44] 15 South Korean Albums (Gaon)[45] 78 Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[46] 57 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[47] 9 UK Albums (OCC)[48] 3 UK Independent Albums (OCC)[49] 1 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[50] 1 US Billboard 200[51] 41

Year-end charts Chart (2018) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[52] 127 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[53] 199 French Albums (SNEP)[54] 194 Chart (2019) Position Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[55] 144 French Albums (SNEP)[56] 170

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
France (SNEP)[57]	Gold	50,000
United Kingdom (BPI)[58]	Gold	100,000
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

Release history

Album formats and release dates

Region	Date	Format	Label
Various	8 June 2018	CD Digital download LP	FAMM
	2 November 2018	Cassette

See also

• List of UK R&B Albums Chart number ones of 2018

References

1. Sanders, Leigh (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith, Lost and Found - album review". Express & Star. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
2. "BC Radio 1 Playlist". Retrieved 22 February 2019.
3. Colburn, Randall (20 April 2018). "Jorja Smith announces debut album, Lost & Found". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 26 May 2018.
4. Davis, Allison P. (7 June 2018). "Jorja Smith Hopes She Isn't Boring You". The Cut. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
5. Robinson, Peter (9 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: 'Did Amy have a hit with Frank? I haven't had one and I'm not bothered'" – via www.theguardian.com.
6. Smith, Thomas (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith – 'Lost & Found' Album Review". NME. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
7. https://www.coupdemainmagazine.com/jorja-smith/14826
8. "Jorja Smith, Co-Signed by Drake & Kendrick: 'My Songs Are Classics'". Billboard.
9. "PREMIERE: Listen to Jorja Smith's Raw, Honest Debut "Blue Lights"". PigeonsandPlanes. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
10. "Jorja Smith Announces Debut Album 'Lost & Found'". Billboard. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
11. Penrose, Nerisha (17 April 2018). "Jorja Smith Paints 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' in 'Blue Lights' For Live TV Debut Performance: Watch". Billboard. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
12. "UK Radar: Jorja Smith". Hypebeast. 24 February 2016. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
13. "Jorja Smith Drops Nostalgic & Soulful Banger "Teenage Fantasy"". Highsnobiety. 23 April 2018. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
14. "Lost & Found by Jorja Smith reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
15. "Lost & Found by Jorja Smith Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
16. Kellman, Andy. "Lost & Found – Jorja Smith". AllMusic. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
17. Sackllah, David (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith Becomes a Bold, New Voice on Lost & Found". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
18. Patrick, Ryan (6 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found". Exclaim!. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
19. Hunter-Tilney, Ludovic (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found — 'thoughtful and authentic'". Financial Times. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
20. Yates, Kieran (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found review – soulful debut from R&B prodigy". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
21. Joshi, Tara (10 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found review – quietly, confidently remarkable". The Observer. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
22. Howard, Jackson (12 June 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
23. Yates, Steve (Summer 2018). "Jorja Smith: Lost & Found". Q (387): 114.
24. Hodgkinson, Will (8 June 2018). "Pop review: Jorja Smith: Lost & Found". The Times. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
25. Lister, Lewis (8 June 2018). "Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". Clash. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
26. Edwards, Simon (8 June 2018). "On Lost & Found, Jorja Smith shows us what she's capable of". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
27. Aswad, Jem (8 June 2018). "Album Review: Jorja Smith's 'Lost & Found'". Variety. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
28. Savage, Mark (26 July 2018). "Arctics and Jorja Smith on Mercury list" – via www.bbc.co.uk.
29. "Jorja Smith enters Top 3 with debut album, Lost & Found". Music Week. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
30. "Official Record Store Chart Top 40: 15 June 2018 – 21 June 2018". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
31. Paine, Andre (20 September 2018). "Prize up: How the 2018 Mercury Prize boosted artists' sales, streams and followers". Music Week. Retrieved 24 September 2018.
32. • Lost & Found (Media notes). Jorja Smith. FAMM. 2018.CS1 maint: others (link)
    • "Try the TIDAL Web Player". listen.tidal.com. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
33. "Australiancharts.com – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
34. "Ultratop.be – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
35. "Ultratop.be – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
36. "Jorja Smith Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
37. "Czech Albums – Top 100". ČNS IFPI. Note: On the chart page, select 201824 on the field besides the word "Zobrazit", and then click over the word to retrieve the correct chart data. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
38. "Danishcharts.dk – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
39. "Dutchcharts.nl – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
40. "Offiziellecharts.de – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
41. "Irish-charts.com – Discography Jorja Smith". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
42. "Top 20 Independent – Week Ending 15 Jun 2018". Irish Recorded Music Association. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
43. "Charts.nz – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
44. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
45. "Gaon Album Chart – Week 24, 2018". Gaon Chart (in Korean). Retrieved 21 June 2018.
46. "Swedishcharts.com – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
47. "Swisscharts.com – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". Hung Medien. Retrieved 20 June 2018.
48. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
49. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
50. "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2018.
51. "Jorja Smith Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
52. "Jaaroverzichten 2018". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
53. "Rapports Annuels 2018". Ultratop. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
54. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2018" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
55. "Jaaroverzichten 2019". Ultratop. Retrieved 20 December 2019.
56. "Top de l'année Top Albums 2019" (in French). SNEP. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
57. "French album certifications – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 13 January 2020.
58. "British album certifications – Jorja Smith – Lost & Found". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 13 January 2020.

External links

• Lost & Found (Jorja Smith album) at Discogs (list of releases)