SEE: Jorja Smith – ‘By Any Means’: passionate civil rights Britsoul

UK singer-songwriter Jorja Smith has shared the lyric video for a slow, heartfelt tale of empowerment,“By Any Means”, in which she brings her graceful, smokey soul tones to a stripped-back groove that gives her voice – and her message – absolute centre stage.

It’s the lead single to be taken from Roc Nation’s upcoming Reprise project: a collection of tunes from “multiple artists, uniting to let their voices be heard in musical protest … to bring awareness to social justice issues. 

“A portion of proceeds will go to funding organisations that support victims of police brutality, hate crimes, and other violations of civil rights.

Jorja, Grammy-nominated for her debut album Lost & Found, has never been afraid to speak up and speak loud about injustice. Her breakthrough single “Blue Lights” tackled police brutality.

“By Any Means” speaks to the cresting energy swirling in 2020 around civil rights. She sings from her vantage point as a young black woman powering change: “I take pride in the things that we’ve done / Side by side in the revolution / Won’t stay silent for things that I love”.

She 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.”

Stream “By Any Means” here to support the Reprise project; watch for more from Jorja on Facebook, Twitter and at her website.