Jess Smyth, popularly known under the moniker Biig Piig – a name she saw on a pizza menu – has garnered a lot of attention since her emergence in 2017 with her short and sweet single ‘Crush’n’ on Spotify. An article by The Guardian highlighted that the 22-year-old performer spent much of her childhood between Spain and Ireland, before ending up in West London where she became a member of Nine8, a collaborative group composed of 15 musicians, artists, and creatives with a DIY-or-die approach to music.
Before becoming a full-fledged musician, Biig Piig actually worked as a poker dealer to earn her keep, and Metropolis Music's profile on her claims that this experience as a poker dealer is probably the reason why her music has that right mix of maturity and youthful naivety that makes it unique. Biig Piig explains how the social nature of the game could make it a “big ball of emotion,” depending on the current winners and losers at the table.
CardPlayer's review of PPPoker explains that the game has evolved to include differing rules, structures, guarantees, and jackpots, and being a dealer requires a lot of mental clarity. In her experience, “You have to be like the mum of the table – take everything on, take everyone else’s problems on and hold it together.”
Ever since she joined the music company founded by her friend Ava Laurel (aka Lava La Rue), Biig Piig has been releasing tracks that incorporate soulful and silky vocals with gentle hip-hop beats. Her music appeals to a wide audience because they speak of the usual subjects that people her age usually ponder on such as escapism, romance, work, and friendships. For instance, her EP Big Fan of Sesh Vol 1 tells the story of Fran who recently got past a doomed relationship and is now partying hard and finding herself lost in a city that’s always moving and ever-changing.
Dazed and Confused's review of the EP mentioned that each song represents the various stages of an intense relationship, starting from the nerves of speaking to the person for the first time in ‘Flirt’, to completely losing the whole relationship in ‘You Know Better’, and thinking about everything in the aftermath in ‘Perdida’.
The second installation to Biig Piig’s trilogy of EPs is 'A World Without Snooze Vol 2' that follows Mira who is going through her teens. DIY Magazine's review of the EP emphasized how the featured songs tackle self-reflection and the various stages of maturity that one experiences as they approach adulthood. Aside from the rush of responsibility and loneliness that adolescence usually brings, the EP also dealt with the realization that there is nothing wrong about cutting toxic things out of your life. Mira, after going through some difficult times, chaos and experiences, eventually figured out what she wants and came to a conclusion that was symbolized through a signed letter at the end of the film for the EP.
The London-based acclaimed artist finished off her EP trilogy by releasing 'No Place For Patience Vol. 3' which she explained is a self-reflective project that talks about facing hard truths and taking all the good and the bad from them. Biig Piig further emphasized that her latest EP is like a resolve that allows her to face a side of herself that she used to hate so much without self-pity and finally let go of it. In contrast to the laid-back nature of the songs, Ones To Watch's review of her third EP pointed out that her maturity can be felt through her more confrontative method of songwriting.
If you loved Biig Piig’s latest EP, do check out our post 'Stone Fruit Intricate Sound Moves You into New Dimensions with “Defy the Time', which features an emotionally moving song that will give you peace and relaxation through its soothing yet augmented presentation of vocals and well-written lyrics.