Biig Piig on her evolving style and year of self care

Singer-songwriter Jessica Smyth (aka Biig Piig) may be from Ireland, but it's clear from both her sound and style that she has been heavily influenced by her nomadic upbringing.

Born and raised in Cork, followed by a few years in Malaga, and a short stint in Tralee, the Kerosene singer says she eventually found herself performing at open mics in West London at the age of 14.

Meeting a collection of characters during her early years in London (she worked in both her family's pub and as a late-night poker dealer), she found a creative home for herself in the NiNE8 collective, collaborating with musicians and channeling her unusual experiences into her music.

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In 2016, Smyth moved her music from live performances to SoundCloud, and the following year, when she was just 19-years-old, her single Vice City made her a breakthrough star.

The song caught the attention of COLORS - a popular music performance platform - and their video together has garnered over 9.4 million views on YouTube at time of writing.

Since then, the rapper has bounced between Ireland, LA , London, and Paris, changing up her style and music at each turn, and collecting a loyal collection of fans while she's at it (she currently has 1.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify).

Now, at the ripe age of 26, she's decided to settle down and plant some roots among the chaos.

"I've settled in London," she confirms. "You know, I move so much for the tour and it's non-stop and I love it. I think I'm built for it, really. I grew up moving so much, so the fluidity of that is something I feel very at home with.

"In recent times, though, I've missed having a base and somewhere to really settle," she continues. "I want to build somewhere I can call a home and somewhere to cultivate as a space to come back to after the chaos of constant movement. Which I also miss desperately."

Speaking from her home in London, the Feels Right singer says that apart from her show at the Guinness Storehouse - which will take place on June 20 alongside opening acts Aby Coulibaly and Khaki Kid - she will be taking a step back from performing until November of this year.

Despite her love for live performance, having wrapped her album along with two years of touring, she says she's ready for a breather.

"That adrenaline and atmosphere... there's always a huge part of me that wants to do it and I miss it, but I think it's good for my head and my overall wellbeing to step back. 2024 is about self care and settling and trying to stay still a little bit."

Of course, the chance to play an iconic Irish venue was too good an opportunity to pass up, and the Cork woman says she's in the perfect headspace for the summer session.

"I feel like, recently, I've just found that creative drive again," she explains. "I feel like I'm creating in a different way, I guess. It's always been something that I've been able to rely on; even when things are really hectic, music has helped me to stay still."

"[The Storehouse] is an iconic venue but it's also... every time I go back to Dublin or Ireland in general, there's a real sense of being around family and friends. The atmosphere and even the air is different. It's like, 'oh, I can breathe'. It feels reviving.

"Also, to go to a space like that and play with Irish musicians who are really holding the scene - there's so much talent in Ireland right now - to have it in one venue, it's going to be a great night."

"I have so much family coming down," she laughs.

As well as singing, songwriting, recording and performing, Biig Piig (named after a meat-heavy pizza, for those wondering), has also stepped behind the camera as of late - something that has led her to evolve her on-screen style.

In 2023, she paired up with directing duo NWSPK to create a music video for her dark synth track, Watch Me.

Although her off-duty wardrobe largely consists of over-sized hoodies, and her on-stage persona features a Euphoria-level of glitter, for the music video, Smyth says she wanted to take things up a notch.

Working with stylist Rebecca O'Dwyer, the self-directed artist introducing a totally new look for the song, including a jaw-dropping red latex number.

"I've learned to explore a lot and I've given myself the liberty to do it," she muses.

"You can put yourself in a box so much, and it's uncomfortable and scary and challenging to step out of it, but the more you let yourself have fun with it, the more you see that can feel really confident or really sexy."

"Rebecca O'Dwyer is incredible," she adds, smiling. "There's so much to be said for those creatives who push the boundaries."

Whether she's in a tracksuit or sequinned bikini - or perhaps a mix of both - it seems that the singer is all about finding the place, sound, and look that makes her feel most confident.

"The baggy stuff compared to the latex stuff - which is such opposite ends of the spectrum - even though they're so different, they give me the same confidence and give me the same feeling of... I don't know, I feel proud.

"It's like when you find an outfit that you love, you shouldn't section yourself of from it. I guess it's similar to music, like, 'if you release this, why are you doing that?'.

"It can be confusing when you're jumping around so much, but I think the fun of it is jumping around. I think it's important to find different parts that you haven't tried before."

Biig Piig will play the Guinness Storehouse on June 20, click here for more info.

Biig Piig on her evolving style and year of self care

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