Jorja Smith’s “A Prince” Is Downtempo U.K. R&B With A 17th Century Twist

On her new track, rising U.K. R&B singer Jorja Smith tackles the toxic inner workings of a relationship. He won’t even let me leave the house past 12, she sings, her smoky, jazz-tinged vocals defiant over the heady track. The deliciously downtempo slice of R&B samples 17th Century English composer Henry Purcell, who Smith first heard in her A-level music class, and features a verse from Irish rapper/singer-songwriter Maverick Sabre. It’s the follow-up to "Blue Lights", Smith's Stormzy-approved slow jam that took a Dizzee Rascal reference into new, despondent territory.

Watch the video, animated by Royal College of Art graduate Yao Xiang, above.