Let Me Down
by Jorja Smith (featuring Stormzy)

Album: Single release only (2018)
Charted: 34
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This heartbreaking piano-led ballad finds a vulnerable Jorja Smith singing of being enraptured by a guy whose priorities don't include her.

    Sometimes, I wouldn't mind if I was less important
    Would you think about them all the time?
    Wonder if you'll even notice in the morning
    So where'd you go when you can't get to me


    Smith explained: "'Let Me Down' is about meaning very little to someone, but being okay with that, even though it hurts."
  • Jorja Smith wrote the slow-paced song with London-based producer Ed Thomas, who has previously worked with drum and bass duo Chase & Status ("Blk & Blu") and electronic music duo Bondax ("Giving It All").
  • The song also features some rhymes by Stormzy. Smith told Beats 1's Zane Lowe how the collaboration came about. "I was in the studio with Ed [Thomas], and he was playing the chords on the piano, and I was singing, and Stormzy kind of drifted in and out – that's kind of what he does on the verse," she said. "He literally floated onto the track and I feel like that's how it sounds as well."
  • Jorja Smith had a James Bond theme song in mind when she was working on the track. "A dream of mine is to write a Bond theme tune. When I am writing music I sometimes envision a video playing alongside," she explained. "'Let Me Down' does sound quite Bond-y: you can imagine it during a scene when James Bond has gone down into an underground, dimly lit, secret bar and he approaches the Bond girl who is sitting at the bar looking very guilty because she's done something bad and let him down."
  • Some have compared the song to Adele's piano ballads. This is likely linked to the other co-producer being Paul Epworth who has worked with the "Rolling In The Deep" singer on several occasions (including on her James Bond theme tune "Skyfall").

    "I think around the time, Stormzy and Adele were getting along quite well on Twitter," Ed Thomas said. "And so we thought, 'Ah, would it be kind of interesting to do something that sounded a bit like Adele — [but] that Stormzy would be on?"
  • The song's music video was filmed in Kiev, Ukraine. It was directed by Hector Dockrill, who previously shot Jorja Smith's clips for "Beautiful Little Fools" and "On My Mind." The visual finds Jorja taking on the role of a hit-woman who is plotting against a handsome ballet dancer.

    Dockrill said: "When I received the brief for this film it was pretty much just one word: Bond. Jorja and I put our heads together and played with the idea of her role being a strong female lead, in an entirely fictional world."

    He added: "Creating this setting and developing Jorja's character in giving her depth, soul and richness was a strong step in the direction of filmmaking I want to take."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.

Maxi Priest

Maxi PriestSongwriter Interviews

The British reggae legend tells the story of his #1 hit "Close To You," talks about his groundbreaking Shabba Ranks collaboration "Housecall," and discusses his latest project with Robin Trower.

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul Station

Paul Stanley of Kiss, Soul StationSongwriter Interviews

Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.

Second Wind Songs

Second Wind SongsSong Writing

Some songs get a second life when they find a new audience through a movie, commercial, TV show, or even the Internet.

Bob Daisley

Bob DaisleySongwriter Interviews

Bob was the bass player and lyricist for the first two Ozzy Osbourne albums. Here's how he wrote songs like "Crazy Train" and "Mr. Crowley" with Ozzy and Randy Rhoads.

Devo

DevoSongwriter Interviews

Devo founders Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale take us into their world of subversive performance art. They may be right about the De-Evoloution thing.