WHAT IT IS: 21-year-old British singer-songwriter Nia Smith is carving out her own space with her cinematic, soulful sound. Drawing inspiration from the likes of Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill and H.E.R., Smith has garnered support from Bruno Mars and Timbaland. “Personal” from her debut EP, Give Up the Fear, produced by Grammy-winners Jimmy Napes and Dom Valentino and written with Ed Thomas, gained momentum this summer with a feature from Jamaican dancehall artist Popcaan.
ALBUM: Give Up the Fear (EP)
RELEASE DATE: 11/8
SINGLE: “Personal”
TV: Jools Holland
LIVE: Supporting British R&B/neo-soul artist Elmiene on his North American tour (11 dates); supported Jordan Rakei (two nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall); All Points East, British Summertime supporting SZA (London, U.K.)
INTERNET: 1.2m+ monthly Spotify listeners; millions of TikTok views on covers like Adele’s “Set Fire to the Rain” (4m+), Summer Walker & Bakar’s “Hell N Back” (5m+)
RADIO: Capital Xtra, BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, Apple Music 1 Radio with Rebecca Judd
PRESS: British Vogue, Rolling Stone U.K., NME, Complex, MTV Push “Get to Know” Artist
BOOKING: Lucy Dickens/WME
PUBLISHING: Amber Davis/Warner Chappell U.K.
MANAGEMENT: Paul McDonald & Ryan Lofthouse/Closer Artists