Jorja Smith reveals she has returned to her hometown of Walsall after struggling with the ‘pressure’ of fame: ‘People comment on me a lot – it’s hard to deal with’

Jorja Smith revealed she has returned to her hometown of Walsall after struggling with the ‘pressures’ of fame as she marveled PORTER on Monday.

The 26-year-old singer-songwriter opened up about her decision to leave London and move back to the Midlands, where she has lived since her teens.

She said the move was due to the pressures of fame and the need for “balance” in life.

Jorja said about the big change in my life: ‘If I hadn’t gone back, I think I would find the pressure of people’s opinions too much.

‘Now that I’m back home, I have a bit of balance.’

Choices: The singer-songwriter, 26, opened up about her decision to leave London and move back to the Midlands, where she has lived since her teens

Honest: She said the move was due to the pressures of fame and the need for “balance” in life

She added about the attention she receives: “People comment on me a lot. I don’t look for things, but when I’m on TikTok I see comments. It’s hard to deal with it because no one teaches you about it.

‘You’re literally thrown into it and you don’t know what to expect… When I was 18 I didn’t really care, but now I find myself feeling pressure about what people think of me.’

After returning to Walsall, she launched a choir, called Blue Lights, for girls living in the area.

She explained: ‘I really wanted to do a youth club or something big. But I haven’t been home long so I felt like I had to go small to find out what Walsall needs.

‘Young children need a space where they can feel safe, make friends and talk about what is happening at home.’

For the publication, she posed in a series of stunning photos, including a cut-out, figure-hugging green dress and a glamorous fur coat.

It comes after FKA Twigs revealed last summer that she and Jorja are cousins.

The Tears In The Club singer shared the unexpected family bond in the July/August issue of British GQ magazine.

Honest: Jorja said about the big change in my life: ‘If I hadn’t gone back, I think I would find the pressure of people’s opinions too much

Taking control: The GRAMMY nominated star added: ‘Now that I’m back home, I have a little bit of balance’

Difficult: She added that she gets a lot of attention: ‘People comment on me a lot. I don’t look for things, but when I’m on TikTok I see comments. It’s hard to deal with it because no one teaches you about it’

Difficult: Jorja said: ‘You’re literally thrown into it and you don’t know what to expect… When I was 18 I didn’t really care, but now I find myself feeling pressure about what people think of me’

The 35-year-old singer – whose real name is Tahliah Barnett – said she only found out the London singer-songwriter was a relative after they collaborated on Twigs’ song Darjeeling from her latest mixtape, CAPRISONGS, which was released in January. 2022.

She explained, “I had never met her before, and I jumped in her car with her… and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Gosh, that’s really strange.’ We have exactly the same kind of skin.’

“A few months later I was on my way to LA and (Jorja) left a ballot saying, ‘You’re never going to believe this, but I just talked to my dad and he talked to his sister. and we are related.”

Friendly: After returning to Walsall, she started a choir called Blue Lights for girls living in the area

Project: She explained: ‘I really wanted to do a youth club or something big. But I haven’t been home long so I felt like I had to go small to find out what Walsall needs.”

Thoughts: She added: ‘Young children need a space where they can feel safe, make friends and talk about what’s happening at home’

Beauty: For the publication, she posed in a series of stunning photos, including a cut-out, figure-hugging green dress and a glamorous fur coat

Stunning: One look saw her in a chic all-black ensemble which she wore with a huge brown fur coat