Produced and performed by Curtis Mayfield, it’s considered an essential entry in the catalog of one of America’s most legendary songwriters and a monumental release in the R&B-soul genre. What to Know: The 1972 blaxploitation film Super Fly has been overshadowed by its soundtrack. “Life’s not full of shallow end, your house ain’t full of armbands” is, as Deadpool might say, just lazy writing. “Lifeboats (Freestyle)” has the same pitfall: The song takes a metaphor about people overwhelmed by life’s challenges way too far, and nearly every line of the song references water, drowning, or life jackets. “Blue Lights,” while an admirable attempt at socially conscious storytelling, falls flat without any striking or fresh turns of phrase. Why Skip It: Smith’s songwriting is only intermittently convincing a close reading reveals that many of the lyrics lack subtlety. She channels influences like Alicia Keys on the title track to Adele on “Don’t Watch Me Cry,” but there are also plenty of moments when Smith sets herself apart the dark, slow burn “Wandering Romance” features eerie reverb effects and background vocals for one of the album’s highlights. Even when the tempo slows to a crawl (“Tomorrow”) or the lyrics turn especially melancholy (“Goodbyes”), Smith’s vocals have enough character to keep things interesting. Why Stream It: Across Lost & Found, Smith sings about heartbreak, loss, and loneliness without it being an overly glum project. Her powerhouse vocals have brought her this far, but on Lost & Found, Smith looks to carve out a reputation as a mature songwriter. She’s conscious of that fact, to the point that she turned down Drake’s initial offer to appear on “Get It Together” because she felt she couldn’t relate to the lyrical themes of relationship strife, only changing her mind after a breakup gave her the needed perspective. What to Know: At only 20, British R&B prodigy Jorja Smith may not have as much life experience as some of her genre peers.

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