“Addicted” by Jorja Smith

What we’re actually dealing with Jorja Smith’s “Addicted” is a case of unrequited love. The singer, partially from a third-person perspective, is speaking to what would logically be a romantic relationship. And at the center of the narrative is a lady who has been deserted by her boyfriend. 

Indeed by the looks of things he may even be an ex-boyfriend, at least from his perspective, as she hasn’t seen him “in months”. That is to say that it appears dude has more or less excommunicated her. And the situation has become so serious, in terms of its emotional impact on her, that even family members are becoming concerned for her wellbeing.

So basically the matter at hand is that she is depressed. And it’s not simply because her man has left. But rather it’s more like she has no idea what he’s doing at the moment. And she feels his actions are unjustifiable, as opposed to being interested in other pursuits he should instead be “addicted” to her. 

All lyrics considered, what that sentiment reads like is as if the vocalist/subject feels she has vested more than enough in this romance to earn the commitment of the apple of her eye. In fact even now, suffering the abuse of being ignored, she is still “too selfless to leave” the relationship.

In the middle she delves even deeper into the emotional/social realities behind their union. For instance, she states that she ‘tries to defend him’, which sounds like other people may be dogging him, i.e. advising her to just leave the relationship already. 

Also it’s “hard not to offend” dude, meaning he’s the sensitive type. And the insinuation would be that his easy-to-offend attitude is one of the reasons he has proven so difficult to get along with. And overall the situation sounds as if the singer has every reason to just forget about him. However, she won’t. And again, it is such a level of commitment which rationalizes the primary sentiment behind the tune, i.e. him being sort of a knucklehead for abandoning her.

So in the end, the song concludes as it began. And that’s with the vocalist being stressed out that she is in love with a man who does not share the same high level of dedication to their union that she has.

Music Video

The music video to this track was actually filmed on a webcam. And Jorga Smith co-directed the joint, doing so alongside Savana Leaf. Moreover, despite the melancholy mood of the track, the video is more of a light-hearted affair. And it features the songstress, in her own words, “having fun dressing up, not trying to be too serious”.

Jorja Smith

Jorja Smith is a singer who became professionally active in 2016. She made a name for herself in the late 2010s with the release of her debut album, “Lost & Found”, in 2018. 

That project topped the UK R&B Albums Chart and peaked at number three on the standard UK Albums Chart. That same year, she was named the Critics’ Choice at the Brit Awards. Furthermore, she took home another Brit Awards in 2019 for British Female Solo Artist. 

She is in fact from the UK and grew up in a county known as West Midlands with her dad, a Jamaican, also being a musician.  And between 2018 and 2020 she has collaborated with the likes of Stormzy, Kali Uchis and Burna Boy. This is in addition to participating on the Artist of Grenfell 2017 rendition of “Bridge Over Troubled Waters“, which topped the UK Singles Chart.

When was “Addicted” released?

The official release date of this track was on 10 March 2021, marking Jorja Smith’s first release of the year. It was put out by a label called FAMM. 

“Addicted” is the first single Jorja Smith has put out as the lead vocalist since 2020’s “Come Over” featuring Jamaican artist Popcaan.

Did Jorja Smith write “Addicted”?

Yes. She co-wrote it with a music producer named Compass. The pair also co-wrote it with the following:

• Benjamin Totten
• Amine
• Mutale Chashi
• Olufemi D. Koleoso