Capturing the soft and hazy twilight of an afterparty, Jess Smyth’s music has garnered a lot of attention since her emergence back in 2017. The 21-year-old performs under the moniker Biig Piig, a name she saw on a pizza menu: she told Dazed last year that it “puts no pressure on me to be a certain way – I can be a mess, and I can also be cute and put together”.
Born in Cork, Smyth spent her childhood between Spain and Ireland, before ending up in west London, where she initially worked as a late-night poker dealer. More crucially, after Smyth’s move to London she became a member of Nine8, a collaborative collective of DIY artists including Lava La Rue. Since then, Biig Piig has been releasing tracks with soul-tinged, slinky melodies and silky vocals above gentle hip-hop beats, weaving in and out of introspective thoughts on escapism, romances, work and friendships while dipping fluidly between English and Spanish.
So far she has put out two EPs full of the youthful candour that titles such as Big Fan of the Sesh, Vol 1, and A World Without Snooze, Vol 2 suggest. Her latest singles – the lush and funky Roses and Gold, and the serene, house-leaning Sunny – will be on the forthcoming third EP of the trilogy. Odds are you’ll be hearing a lot more of Biig Piig.
• Biig Piig’s European tour starts on 14 October. She plays EartH, London N16 on 24 October
