Jorja Smith’s 2018 Cover Of “No Scrubs” Has The Internet Debating Her Singing Abilities

Some have joked that the 24-year-old sounds like she’s singing in italics.

BYHayley Hynes
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If you’ve spent enough time on the right side of Twitter, at some point you may have encountered one of the countless debates sparked over one Miss Jorja Smith. Every so often, a clip of the singer performing arises online, prompting people to question her talent and vocal abilities.

The latest video to spread across the internet is from 2018, and sees Smith covering a classic — “No Scrubs” by TLC.

If you’re a fan of the 24-year-old then you already know that she’s got an incredibly unique voice; some people love to joke that she sounds as if she’s singing in cursive or italics.

Smith is also a huge fan of using vocal riffs, and has a signature rasp to her that has lead some to suggest that she “can’t carry a tune.” Her TLC cover definitely takes some creative liberties, but some would argue that the point of covering a classic is to put your own spin on it and not just outright imitate the original.

While some were quick to hate on the English singer (who has also been writing songs since the ripe age of 11), other fans came to her defence, insisting that she can, in fact, sing.

“Y’all can sit the F*CK down and realize that Jorja Smith is and always will be a good singer,” one tweet reads.

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After watching the video for yourself and hearing both sides of the debate, are you Team Jorja? Let us know in the comments. 

[Via]


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About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.