In Rotation: Nia Smith

Nia Smith spent the 2020 lockdowns singing covers on TikTok from her Brixton bedroom. Six years later, the 21-year-old Brit School alumna is sharing stages with SZA, Tems, and Mahalia. There is a distinct lineage of South London soul that carries a reggae-spiked undertone, and Smith is the latest to carry the torch. Her new EP 'Payback Is A Dog' captures a massive leap in her songwriting. It arrives two years after her debut project 'Give Up The Fear', closing an old cycle and setting a new wheel in motion. The lead single "Stuntin" is doing heavy numbers right now. It just snatched the #1 spot on Apple Music's UK R&B chart and slid into Spotify's YAMS playlist. The track works because the vocal is front and center. She leans into a classic R&B foundation, echoing the melodic instincts of Sade and Alicia Keys. When the drums hit on "Stuntin", the bassline stays deep in the pocket, allowing her voice to glide over the top. She doesn't over-sing or crowd the production. She lets the melody breathe. Here is the truth about the current state of UK soul: too many artists are trying to manufacture a 15-second viral loop instead of just singing the hell out of a complete song. Smith actually sings. You can hear it when she trades verses with a dancehall giant like Popcaan on a remix, holding her ground without breaking a sweat. You can hear it on "Personal," a cut that has been living on my monitors all week. She finds the low-frequency pockets of a beat and anchors herself there. Fresh off a performance at Glastonbury, she's gearing up for a festival appearance at the Crystal Palace Bowl in London on August 8th. Stateside, independent radio from Tampa to Portland is already spinning her records. The transatlantic jump is happening. Hit play below.