Set the table and have a seat because Jorja Smith has once again cooked up a soulful melody. This time, she’s serving her new single, “Gone” — a slow, smooth tune about the hardship of losing a loved one. “My God, I lost you at the corner / On God, I lost you in the moment,” Smith sings on the Rahki-produced track. “Why now and not a little later? / Tell me how the world seems to get along without you.” In true Smith fashion, the UK artist evinces passion with her enchanting vocals while conveying the lyrics she co-wrote with Rahki and Emawk.
Although “Gone” preserves a sense of personal woe, it’s ambiguous enough to allow various interpretations. Ultimately, it’s up to the listener to decide how to explicate Smith’s reflections, and there are no wrong answers. “There’s something about being able to write about one thing and for it to mean so many different things to others,” Smith said in a press release. “I love that this song, well any of my songs really, will be interpreted in different ways, depending on the experiences of the people listening. This one is just me asking why people have to be taken from us.”
To coincide with the unveiling of “Gone,” Smith announced her forthcoming project, Be Right Back — a follow-up to her 2018 debut album, Lost & Found. The eight-track collection, which you can pre-save, will include “Gone” and Smith’s previously released song “Addicted.” The project is set to arrive on May 14. “It’s called [Be Right Back] because it’s just something I want my fans to have right now,” Smith continued in the press release. “This isn’t an album and these songs wouldn’t have made it. If I needed to make these songs, then someone needs to hear them too.”
After Be Right Back drops, fans will be able to see Smith perform some of her best hits at the virtual Glastonbury Festival on May 22.